Mingjun Liu

Nocturnal Ecotopes

Edinburgh School of Architecture and Landscape Architecture (ESALA)

lmomo08@163.com

Project description

Nocturnal Ecotopes

This project is located in Inverness of Scotland, in the ecological transition zone where the Moray Firth and Beauly Firth converge. It is a typical area with light pollution boundaries and also a key node for migratory birds. Birds rely on the night sky, geomagnetism and natural lighting for long-distance migration, but they often lose their direction or even die under the influence of strong light. The project uses “darkness” as a medium to respond to the three ecological crises: light pollution, coastal erosion, and habitat fragmentation, and attempts to reconstruct ecological resilience in this endangered space.

By leveraging theories such as “ecological entanglement” (Holm & Taffel, 2017) and “ecological adaptability” (Moran, 2022), through micro-topography shaping, low-light facilities, plant light barriers, layered corridor systems and multi-scale bird-watching strategies, a landscape system that combines ecological shelter and human nighttime perception experience is constructed.

Detailed Plane 1 - Dark Sky Nest

Dark Sky Nest is an ecological perception node located in the core area of this project. It is constructed at the night ecological core area where the human activity zone meets the forest. Its purpose is to restore the perception relationship between humans and the night, and to promote the coexistence experience of humans and non-human life in the darkness. It forms a shared habitat where night-flying birds can rest and humans can observe, with a multi-level and three-dimensional structure. It creates an immersive, educational and protective "dark night ecological landscape".

The project adopts four core design principles namely "Dark Night Habitat", "Low-impact Mobility", "Nighttime Sensing" and "Ecological Embedding". It features diverse functional spaces such as suspended forest walkways, night-bird nesting towers, night-lighting forest, and starry sky meditation garden. Each space responds to the ecological rhythms and the real behavior paths of nocturnal birds, and provides the public with an opportunity to re-experience nature in an environment without light pollution.

Detailed Plane 2 - Celestial Dunes

The name emphasizes the dual themes of "dunes" and "stargazing". "Celestial" means the sky and stars, reflecting the sacred and natural. Here, the sand dunes are not only a natural defense line but also an ecological barrier against urban light pollution.

Celestial Dunes is located in an area of grassy hills affected by erosion, and it is a dynamic place that integrates ecological restoration, landscape shaping and stargazing experience. The terrain adopts a pattern combining variable micro-topography with sand dunes. Through ecological riparian plants and herbaceous communities, the stability of the boundaries is strengthened, and the erosion process caused by sea wind and water flow is mitigated. Even if erosion occurs, the variable micro-topography can form new seabird habitats. This area is also an important foraging and temporary resting site for birds along the forest edge and in the wetlands, such as the black-tailed plover and the curlew.

In addition, Celestial Dunes emphasizes the symbiosis of ecological resilience and aesthetic experience, allowing visitors to appreciate the beauty of nature while realizing the close connection between coastal changes and biological habitats.

Detailed Plane 3 - Whispering Wings Park

Whispering: represents a quiet, low-disturbance, harmonious natural environment, suggesting the balance between human activities and the ecosystem.
Wings: Symbolizing the existence and migration of birds, Hope highlights the theme of birds' habitat.
Park: Public, open and shared, it can be used for light physical activities and also has functions of ecological education and natural experience.

Whispering Wings Park is a forest floor activity venue centered around natural rhythms and light-intervention sports spaces. Its name is inspired by the vibration of bird wings in the forest and the sound of wind. The venue is composed of narrow spaces formed by open grasslands, forest gaps, and hedges, providing a flexible layout for sports and games. It is suitable for light-weight sports, parent-child interaction, and body exploration. At the same time, it is also an ideal place to observe forest-dwelling birds such as thrushes, wrens, and sparrowhawks. Observation points and explanatory signs are set up at the edges of the venue to guide visitors to pay attention to the life rhythms of multiple species during breaks from activities. At night, the light sources in this area are strictly controlled. Only soft ground light and hidden lamps are used to maintain directionality and safety, while preserving the possibility of starlight penetrating through the forest. As much as possible, local plants and natural materials are utilized to restore the degraded wetland system and restore the balance of the nocturnal ecological chain.