The architects today are often asked to use their creative and planning skills to help develop productive areas out of wasteland that benefits the local community. There are plenty of environmentally damaged lands and contaminated sites that can be restored into a useful and productive area. Remediation in architecture means to get rid of the potential environmental contaminants or hazardous substance from a site that can be dangerous to the environment and population. However, it is not feasible to revitalize all toxic wastelands for a successful remediation. The first step of remediation is to determine the level and spread of contamination at a site.
Sustainability in architecture is the need for the urban landscape today as the dynamic in architecture pertains to the environment. Regeneration in architecture engages the natural world while focusing on the living and natural systems of the site. Conservation and performance are two major focus of urban architecture as stated by Littman (1). Remediation and Regeneration work together in architecture and takes into consideration the place, the site, the building, the fauna and flora. The architecture should produce more than it consumes and promote positive existence. The essay looks at the nature of remediation and regeneration by taking an example of 2012 Olympic Park in Stratford, London, which is considered to be a contemporary and sustainable urban spot that carries international significance. Urban responses and architecture play a very important role in creating desirable buildings, projects and homes. There are mixed results based on the interviews of the key participants in the designing and building of the Park as well as when the local community.
As for the Remediation process, it is really remarkable how the beautiful park was created out of a polluted wasteland that was the result of years of industrial activity. The land was contaminated with heavy metals and organic materials. The industrial area for years was unpleasant to look at, and this was certainly not an easy site in London to plan for Olympic Games. There was a huge amount of ground contamination plus the issue of flooding. What added to the problems were the railway lines and infrastructure that ran over and under the site. The real crux for the architects and planners was to give a distinctive look to the park and take care of the dirty, polluted channel, turning it into a glorious river. The Remediation process and reservation work on the Olympic Park site definitely improved the environmental quality of the area and made the park very popular with the locals. People want to visit the park and take their children along. It is satisfying to see the park engaging people with nature. The quality of design and right thinking along with teamwork have played an essential role to get the habitat right.
On the other side, the 2012 Olympic Park in Stratford is not keeping its promises. After all, the London Summer Olympics were meant to boost the slumping economy of the East End of London. The games cost UK Forty and a half billion dollar, and this has left many wondering as to whom the games have really benefitted, the large companies or the local community? Sports facilities for the youth are left unused, for example, the basketball training facility in the public park. The interiors city is left devoid of land and where people do not have open lands or homes to live. Still, most feel that the2012 Olympic Park initiated the regeneration of East London and brought it out of the long-standing social and economic problems. Considered as the poorest parts of the UK, the area was left behind in the race of socio-economic advancements. The Olympic Park and Games provided a unique opportunity to East London to overcome those challenges as well as contribute to its social and economic transformation.
Works Cited
Littman, Jacob S. "Regenerative Architecture: A Pathway Beyond Sustainability." Littman University of Massachusetts 1.1 (2014): 1-68. Print.
