Black Sea goes Green

Tuesday, January 8, 2008

Foster + Partners launches carbon neutral design for Black Sea Gardens

Foster + Partners has launched a masterplan for a carbon-neutral resort on the Black Sea coast in its first project in Bulgaria.

A series of car free hill towns in an unspoilt setting of oak forests, meadows and river gorges, the development will create a year-round community for up to 15,400 residents. The residential clusters are tightly packed and integrated into the contours of the landscape, preserving the majority of the site as virgin terrain.

Residents are encouraged to leave their cars in the underground car park at the entrance of each village, and to take advantage of the electric shuttle buses, electric pool cars and cycles. The compact plan and pedestrian- friendly nature of each village, further promotes alternative means of getting around.
Informed by the vernacular architecture of the region, the hill towns have narrow streets with a tight grouping of residences, which creates environmental benefits such as reduced wind speeds, as well as providing sunny balconies and cool streets. The material palette for the hill towns is taken from local, sustainable sources that will be key in lowering the embodied carbon of the buildings.