A masterplan concept for the Ocean Beach coast that incorporates public amenities with flood protection strategies.
The target lifespan of the new OB pier is 75-100 years. It is predicted sea levels could rise as much as 6’ in the next 100 years. Without some kind of intervention, this new sea level would put everything in red in the ocean.
In 2012 much of lower Manhattan was underwater due to the storm surges of Hurricane Sandy. It was a wake up call to the vulnerability of the city to flooding due to sea level rise and climatic change. This lead Big Architects to develop a master plan called “The Dryline”, a 10 mile boardwalk that incorporates flood control mechanisms and strategies with public amenities.
What if we took a similar approach in Ocean Beach? There are amenities that the community has requested for the new OB Pier that may not be economically feasible on a pier structure. What if we developed a master plan for the OB coast that doubles as flood protection and integrates with the new pier? Every winter the town has to build large sand berms to protect from high surf and storms. Despite this, there are still issues with flooding only to get worse with sea level rise.
This new elevated boardwalk could provide an accessible path so everyone could enjoy beach strolls along the OB coast. It could connect with an existing bike path along the channel.
Recumbent curves could be integrated into the sea wall, redirecting wave forces during storms and creating new skate parks and protected strolling. Parts of the boardwalk could be operable flood gates that could be open when not in use and act as an outdoor gallery. The operable gates could frame ocean views in a cinematic way with 16:9 openings.
Stepped seating for volleyball and surfing spectating could double as protected vendor spaces to replace makeshift vendor stands.
Vendors at Veterans park
Community spaces, surfboard storage and bathrooms could be integrated into the wall. Seating on the path above these spaces could act as skylight and ventilation opportunities. There could also be elevated parking spots so surfers could observe wave conditions from inside their vehicle.