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Sited at an abandoned Chalk Pit located on the Swanscombe peninsula in London, this project proposes the restoration of the grassland ecology and the development of a "Landscape Catalyst" for wider biological habitat and refuge of the peninsula.
The unique terrain of the site with the chalk cliffs creates a rich habitat at different elevations of the pit. Chalk cliffs are naturally subject to erosion by rain and wind. Artificial artistic carving accelerates the process and so the shaping of a vertical cliff habitat. In addition, cliff stairs are built for visitors to access the Chalk Pit.
The materials required for the restoration of the Chalk Pits are extracted from discarded and recyclable materials in the peninsula, and these materials are used to create diverse types of rich ecological habitats in the Chalk Pits. The planting nursery established in the pit supplies mature plants to Swanscombe Marshes in the wider peninsula. The design project maps a process of exchange and mutual assistance between materials and ecology.