How Soluna will integrate into Gloucester

 For me, Soluna's integration into the wider urban fabric of Gloucester was vital for its success. It needed to cater towards many demographics of people, whilst also being a tourism focal point. This is often tricky to balance.

The site is landscape led instead of led by built form. This means Soluna is shaped by existing landform, water, topography, vegetation and movement rather than by preconceived design ideas. Therefore, the site provides a continuation of the river and surrounding vegetation, responding to natural systems and integrating within them as opposed to trying to control them. 

The River Severn connects Soluna both physically and ecologically to the wider floodplain area that is Gloucester. Acting as both a boundary and a connector. 

The designing of Soluna fundamentally works with flooding, rather than against it accepting it as a defining feature and experience. 

The primary routes align with existing paths and bridges; this strengthens connections to the Gloucester docks and beyond. 

As the edges of this site are so naturalised, these soft edged allow Soluna to fade into its surroundings instead of having harsh boundaries and constraints. Therefore, allowing all elements, including visitors, to move freely between the site and surrounding context. 

Given ecology is at the core of Soluna existing habitats on site are extended and connected, rather than fragmented. These long ecological corridors link the site to the wider landscape and allow species to travel freely through the site undisturbed by vast infrastructure. 

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