Aranya Stream Park

Project Statement

The project sets a model of how thoughtful landscape design can artistically blend cultural significance with daily community water play.

It acts as a catalyst, breathing life into the linear heart of the large community, creating much-needed and inclusive open spaces for residents and visitors. It transforms the purely residential area into a vibrant mixed-use space, fostering the growth of restaurants and retail businesses.

The design sculpts the land into artistic streams and landforms, creating a metaphorical abstraction of nature and evoking cultural memory. Learning through play, the design immerses families and children in rich landscape experiences, fostering a deeper understanding of hydrological and ecological systems.

Project Narrative

At Aranya Shoreline in Qinhuangdao, a community of over 2,000 families faced a significant demand for public spaces and local amenities. To address this need, the linear heart of the community was reimagined into a stream park, serving as a revitalizing catalyst, creating inclusive, high-quality open spaces for residents while attracting restaurants and retail businesses.

More than just a park, the 1.8-hectare landscape embodies the 1,670-year-old Chinese tradition of stream hiking, celebrating social gatherings and the interconnection of literature, nature, and human connection. Inspired by this cultural legacy and the local river's natural confluence with beach dunes, the park employs water as its unifying element, with a 320-meter accessible stream winding through the site, evoking scenes from ancient paintings.

Minimalist design principles shape the park's aesthetic. The design team envisioned meandering streams winding through a forest-like setting, featuring 120 ash trees that provide lush, green shade. With native perennials, the forest fosters a calm and serene atmosphere. Landscape forms and elements are abstractly presented to achieve a pure and cohesive look. The stream, crafted using only two types of locally sourced stones, serves as an artistic metaphor for the local river and its hydrological processes.

During the daytime, undulating ground and waterways create diverse depths and currents, forming active, engaging streams, bubbling rivulets, pools, and cascading falls. At night and in the early morning, the stream offers tranquility, mirroring skies streaked with sunlight or moonlight, tree shadows, and delicate ripples stirred by breezes.

The stream park has become a magnet for local communities, providing spaces to gather, celebrate, and unwind. Diners at nearby restaurants can sit outside and enjoy their meals, while shoppers in stores are treated to green, vibrant landscapes. For those who wish to interact with water, the park offers a variety of programmed spaces, such as the jumping fountain plaza, where playful, randomly timed jets ignite children's creativity.

The stream park also serves as an educational landscape, encouraging families and children to learn through play. It provides diverse landscape experiences and engaging elements, fostering a deeper understanding of hydrological and ecological systems. For example, flowing streams encourage exploration, inviting children to launch paper boats and watch them drift downstream. Plant exploration along paths and stream allows residents to gain insights into ecological systems as well as the rich plant palette of the region.

Situated above a podium, the design team collaborated closely with architects and engineers to address complex conditions and maximize greenery. They also consulted with residents to understand their needs and incorporate their ideas on designing the water feature. At the residents' request, the park is designed to be curbless and stepless, ensuring accessibility for all activities despite the presence of a water feature. This thoughtful design approach welcomes everyone and promotes inclusivity.

The project demanded meticulous detailing and exceptional craftsmanship, further complicated by a tight schedule and budget constraints. Through precise modeling, careful adjustments, and rigorous construction oversight, the team successfully achieved both aesthetic fluidity and implementation accuracy.

Sustainability Criteria

The project aligns with multiple United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UNSDGs) by integrating ecological sustainability, social inclusivity, and economic resilience.

• SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities – The park revitalizes an urban core, transforming a congested residential area into a vibrant public realm that enhances walkability, accessibility, and environmental quality.
• SDG 13: Climate Action – By increasing green spaces in the community heart, the park mitigates urban heat island effects, absorbs carbon, and manages stormwater through depressed green area.
• SDG 15: Life on Land – The design incorporates 120 ash trees and native plant species, fostering biodiversity and ecological resilience while creating habitats for pollinators and local wildlife.
• SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being – The project provides a serene environment for physical activity, mental relaxation, and cultural gatherings, promoting community engagement and overall well-being.
• SDG 9: Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure – Built atop a podium with complex site conditions, the park demonstrates innovative urban planning by harmonizing ecological systems with architectural and engineering solutions.
• SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth – The park catalyzes local economic development, attracting retail businesses and restaurants while fostering social and economic sustainability.

Through these contributions, the project creates a more livable, climate-resilient, and socially connected urban landscape.