Design Strategies for Coastal Adaptation Urban Speculation in Palm Beach, Gold Coast—Australia

Abstract

Sea-level rise has put under the spotlight the foreshore of our cities. The architecture of the foreshore has become subject to considerable investigation to understand how our cities can cope and thrive in a progressively mutable context. This slow-onset event and the physical transformation provoked present a fascinating scenario and an incredible opportunity to challenge the way we conceive, organise and design coastal cities. At the base of this opportunity lies a paradigmatic shift on the belief that the land we occupy controls water. As da Cunha (2019) states, “the act of separation [between land and water] is a land-centric idea conceived to contain and control wetness.” From this perspective, any change to this “state of control” is deemed as a disruption or risk which promotes uncertainties in our social systems and infrastructures. This study investigates design strategies for urban adaptation of coastal developments. Considering the architectural perspective, the precedents and approaches presented combine landform infrastructures with interventions at the architectural scale. The preferred context of the application is Palm Beach in the City of Gold Coast, Queensland (Australia). The primary goal of this study is to present a speculative scenario for a neighbourhood within Palm Beach. Considered as a speculative project, the proposal aims to spur a constructive conversation on innovative design solutions able to influence the local architectural practice. The design proposal tests two different, yet related options. The first attempt is based on the Fingers of High Ground project by Mathur et al. (2014). The project’s key aspect is the manipulation of contours with the intent to mitigate and contain water while providing a territorial infrastructure. The second iteration, labelled Hybridised Canal Estate, couples the moulding of contours with the provision of sought-after real-estate waterfront properties. This iteration pivots around two main characters of the target community and context: the leisure driven tourism and real-estate market. Ultimately, this study aspires to promote a broader conversation on how to envision an innovative architecture of the foreshore able to transform the threat of sea-level rise into an opportunity to rethink our cities.