Yuxiao Li

Reweaving the Coastline

Edinburgh School of Architecture and Landscape Architecture (ESALA)

Follow:

The Flow of Matter in the Intertidal Zone

Project description

As the relationships between land, sea, and community continue to erode, this project responds not by mourning what is lost, but by cultivating resilience, fostering reconnection, and regenerating the edges we inhabit. It recognizes the coastline not as a fixed boundary, but as a living threshold—dynamic, fragile, and in continuous dialogue with natural processes.

The erosion witnessed here is both a physical reality and a symptom of fragmented relationships. Barriers built for protection have disrupted ecological cycles, weakened community ties, and severed our connection to the sea. This project reconsiders these boundaries not simply as lines of defense, but as opportunities for repair and reconnection.

The design approach is intentionally modest, incremental, and material-driven. Pocket gardens gently pierce existing infrastructures, bridging gaps between human settlements and marine ecologies. Decaying seaweed is reclaimed from the shoreline and transformed into life-sustaining resources for community gardens, reconnecting everyday practices to tidal rhythms. Along the rocky shore, crafted stone interventions support marine life, creating microhabitats and gradually restoring ecological potential.

The Shifting Edge: Erosion on East Coastline of Scotland

Site Selection within the Context of Coastal Erosion

In the face of intensifying coastal erosion driven by climate change, the selection of Dunbar East Beach as the project site reflects a deliberate focus on a landscape where the impacts of environmental transformation are both visible and immediate. Situated along Scotland’s vulnerable east coast, where sediment typically travels from southeast to northwest, East Beach lies along this shifting corridor, its condition shaped by longshore drift and disrupted coastal dynamics. Once a vibrant recreational space, the beach now bears the physical traces of sediment loss, sea wall interventions, and tidal encroachment. Its position at the intersection of ecological fragility and community life makes it a critical site for exploring grounded, adaptive design strategies that respond to the lived realities of coastal change.

Animated diagram showing the dynamic transformation of East Beach, Dunbar, from the late 18th century to the present. The map traces the shoreline’s gradual loss of sand due to repeated winter storms, transitioning from a once vibrant recreational beach with good sand to a visibly eroded coastline. Historical photographs and timeline annotations on the right emphasize the contrast between past and present conditions, highlighting the ongoing coastal erosion.

The Dynamics process of East Beach

The Language of Matter: Understanding Site in Flux

While large-scale coastal erosion is often measured in meters of lost shoreline, it is, at its core, a material process. The beach is not a fixed form, but a condition in flux—shaped by the movement, accumulation, and decay of matter over time. In this project, I examine the site through the lens of three key materials: Sand, Stone, and Seaweed.

This diagram presents a site analysis of East Beach through the micro-scale lens of sand. It includes a sediment transport map and multiple timelines that trace how climate events and human infrastructure have contributed to long-term beach erosion.

This diagram analyzes the site through the material lens of stone, illustrating how different types of hard rock interact with intertidal organisms across the coastal landscape.

This diagram analyzes the site from the perspective of kelp. It illustrates how different species of kelp inhabit various depths of the intertidal zone, and how deep-sea kelp, once detached, is transported and deposited along the shoreline.

Between Erosion and Renewal

At Dunbar’s East Beach, a single groyne divides two contrasting worlds. To its south, the beach quietly rebuilds itself—sand returning steadily, signaling gentle renewal. To the north, erosion has left bare rocks exposed, evidence of what has been lost. This structure becomes a silent axis, bearing witness to the delicate balance between erosion and accumulation.

My design extends this groyne inland, merging it with a small public green space to form an intertidal garden commemorating coastal change. Within this garden, two distinct yet equally joyful landscapes unfold side by side, inviting residents and visitors alike to experience—and celebrate—the dynamic rhythms of the coastline.