Shahat Case Study

SHAHAT GARDEN CITY
Location: Green Mountain Region, Libya
Client: Organisation for Development
and Construction (ODAC), Libya
Appointed: November 2009
Size: 1,500Ha
In the north of Libya, over two years, Cullinans worked on the
masterplan of a new, carbon neutral garden city of Shahat.
The existing town of Shahat is located in the renowned Green
Mountain region in eastern Libya, only a few kilometres south of
the UNESCO World Heritage Site of the ancient city of Cyrene. The
new, mixed-use development would create homes for 60,000
people over the 1500-hectare site, with connections to the existing
town emphasised by carefully planned road links.
Dense neighbourhood centres would be achieved through an
abundance of mixed use and adaptable buildings that would allow
for growth and change according to commercial and social
pressures, with new civic buildings, a university and a central
botanical garden. A prototype design was proposed that could be
applied to form over eighty new kindergartens and primary and
secondary schools, with hilltop centres to be surrounded by rural
smallholdings and wadi farms to help integrate the farming culture
of the local community into the new masterplan.
The masterplan created a design for low-carbon living through
walk-able neighbourhoods, shaded streets, natural cooling and lowenergy buildings, wind farms and solar power fields, as well as a
better urban environment.
Above: A typical neighbourhood centre.
Shahat Garden City
CULLINAN STUDIO
Context
Shahat Garden City - Madinat Hadaek Shahat - is located in Libya’s
Green Mountain Region - al Jabel al Akhdar - which is a 270km mile
stretch of coastline with a moist and cool climate. The terrain is
green with good agricultural land in the wadis and abundant scrub
in more exposed areas, with areas of low woodland hosting
abundant and often unique plant and animal life, as well as
concealing many archaeological secrets yet to be discovered in
their entirety.
Above: The topography presents opportunities to
channel the breeze into the neighbourhood area
through wadis containing existing agriculture.
The Shahat Garden City masterplan has been formed from a deep
understanding of what is already there: the incredibly rich and
important archaeology and unique biodiversity, but also fragile
agriculture, complex topography, modern infrastructure and a
diversifying economy.
The masterplan aims to provide a well-connected network of streets
and spaces that ensure the long-term economic, social and
environmental sustainability of the development. Walking is
encouraged to reduce vehicular trips by providing easy access to
social and economic infrastructure for both inhabitants and visitors.
A hierarchy of movement would be encouraged by controlling
permeability and concentrating pedestrian and vehicle movement
and activity through key public space to make better
neighbourbood centres. Carefully located neighbourhood-specific
land uses would ensure that all spaces are well-used, well loved, and
have a character that provides a clear identity for both residents
and visitors.
Above: The neighbourhood shape follows the
contours and avoids the steeper ground.
Ancient town of
Cyrene - a World
Heritage Site
Existing town
of Shahat
Above: The hot southern Qbli wind is blocked by the
neighbourhood edge.
Proposed
Shahat Garden City
Above: The neighbourhood mosque - the main focus
of each neighbourhood - is positioned as a landmark
along the primary route.
Shahat Garden City
Above: Positioning of old, existing and proposed towns.
CULLINAN STUDIO
Community
The masterplan aims to deliver houses where people love to
live, framing streets in which people feel safe and a complete
environment where people can choose between privacy and
community through homes in which they have pride and feel real
ownership.
Above: The most dense areas are focused around the
neighbourhood centre, creating a variety of house
types and different scales of civic spaces from centre
to edge.
The landscape can provide many economically productive uses,
led by agriculture, but also including forestry, tourism, quarrying,
energy generation and waste management. Wherever possible
these would minimise the use of resources and encourage the use
of local materials. Neighbourhoods are purposefully designed to
avoid areas of existing farming and create opportunities for ‘small
holdings’ or small orchards, pastures and arable land, generating
businesses and a productive landscape edge.
Climate
The ‘Garden City’ would bring together the idea of a sustainable
town within a landscape for all, following the aspiration of the
Cyrene Declaration. A network of paths and a hierarchy of forests,
green spaces, shade, shelter, gardens, agriculture, street trees
and native flora would create an integrated ecosystem. Through
landscape, sustainable economies would be ensured for the future,
connecting Shahat Garden City to the landscape of the Green
Mountain and linking into the tourism potential of nearby Cyrene.
Above: To avoid substantial earth moving
and awkward roads and house access, each
neighbourhood layout closely follows the natural
topography.
A botanical garden at the heart of the town would preserve a
biodiversity of international importance, with green corridors
protecting the habitats and passage of endangered animals and
reptiles.
To ensure a pedestrian-friendly masterplan and therefore reduce
dependence on the car, neighbourhood centres are set 1000m
apart so that every resident is within 500km, 5 minutes walk, from
a from a centre.
The masterplan incorporates a wind farm and extensive
photovoltaic solar fields.
Above: To ensure easy walking distances for younger
children kindergartens are placed roughly evenly apart
at approximately 250m separation and always close to
green spaces and slower roads.
Above: Schools require substantial playing fields
for the benefit of both children and the community,
meaning that flat ground is best.
Shahat Garden City
Above: Drawing of a typical residential mews street.
CULLINAN STUDIO
Shahat Garden City
CULLINAN STUDIO