The ocean covers more than 70% of the earth’s surface yet more than 80% of this mysterious wilderness remains unmapped and unexplored. It is estimated that 94% of all life on our planet is aquatic, and a great deal of land-based life is sustained by the oceans.
The borders of the United States extend 200 nautical miles from shore, so more than half of the country sits beneath the ocean. Approximately 40% of the world’s human population lives within 60 miles of the shore. Despite our romantic notions about living near the ocean, the coast can be a treacherous and unpredictable environment. Tsunamis, flooding, erosion, pollution and rising sea levels are among the grave concerns of coastal communities.
In the Pacific Northwest the tides are dramatic — sea levels can fluctuate up to 15 feet twice a day. Two times a year the sun and moon’s gravitational pull combine to create what some call a king tide. When combined with a storm or weather event, ocean waves can wreak havoc along the coast line. Property owners often build seawalls in an attempt to protect their property. They normally take the form of massive and unsightly concrete structures, but it does not have to be that way.
There are several communities that have been exploring alternatives that work with the natural systems. By placing boulders in the foreshore (the area between low and high tide) and planting dune grasses and pine shrubberies, the water is slowed, which encourages the depositing of sand.
The landscape shown here is a portion of a 200-foot-long landscape and seawall along the English Bay in Vancouver. The wall is a Corten steel shell filled with concrete. The form is faceted, resulting in crisp but biomorphic shapes that make a tastefully intriguing addition to the coastline. Metamorphous, the firm responsible for this design, received a well-deserved award from the American Society of Landscape Architects. Perhaps a greater honor was bestowed when the adjacent property owners approached the firm to extend the concept to protect their land as well. It is never prudent to battle the wilderness head on. It is always better to work intelligently with the natural systems to achieve your goals.