Reviving Mines: The Tan Cang Ecosystem | FuturArc Prize 2024 Merit

Dong Nai, a province that borders Ho Chi Minh City, is known for its rich geological resources that include metallic and non-metallic minerals like quartz, sand, kaolin clay, limestone and granite.^1,2 For over two decades since stone mining was permitted by the government in 2000, over 14,000 square kilometres of quarries have been established, measuring up to 150 metres deep.

Despite its economic significance in the region, quarrying has extremely adverse environmental impacts, completely destroying habitats and polluting the surrounding environment with heavy metals in soil and water bodies as well as disease-causing airborne particulate matter. In 2020, it was estimated that around 3.17 million residents in the proximity have been directly affected by the mining activities.³

The team remarked that the satellite imagery of abandoned quarries resembled black holes in space, seen as “desolate expanses of land that serve as a stark testament to the decline of an entire ecosystem”. Bordering one of the quarries, a mere 50 metres from the team’s selected site, is the Buong River.⁴ This proximity poses harm and threats—not only has the water become contaminated, but nearby mining activities could also cause the river banks to collapse and flood the site, possibly altering the river’s flow and causing long-term water supply disruptions to the region.

Healing the wounded land

This entry considers abandoned stone quarries as ‘open wounds’ on Earth’s surface, and the ecological restoration process as ‘wound healing with Green cells’. While recognising the complex challenges faced by the site, they envision that Tan Cang Quarry could be restored through multiple phases. After identifying pollution sources within the area, the team posits that it is possible to take advantage of the unique terrain to implement a multi-layer water filtration and water reuse system to restore the ecosystem.

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PROJECT DATA

Scenario
Endings

Location
Tan Cang Quarry, Dong Nai Province

Country
Vietnam

Site Area
50,000 square metres

FUTURARC PRIZE 2024: MERIT

Both team members hail from the University of Architecture Ho Chi Minh City, with Hà Nhựt Anh being a graduate and Nguyễn Gia Huy a third-year student. When seeking inspiration for this competition, they were amazed by the size and depth of the abandoned quarries. The ecosystems and surrounding urban spaces have suffered permanent damage due to expanding stone quarries. This motivated them to search for a new ‘beginning’ for the Tan Cang Quarry in Dong Nai, Vietnam.

Read more stories from FuturArc 3Q 2024 Green Awards: Architecture for Life After!

¹ https://investvietnam.vn/dong-nai-lo60.html
² https://www.nicd.co.jp/dongnai2012/abouten.html
³ Nemer et al., 2020
⁴ https://vietnamnews.vn/environment/469007/stone-pit-exploitation-threatens-buong-river.html