BOAT TERMINAL PORT-HARCOURT

ABSTRACT

Rivers State,  The  ‘Treasure  Base  Of The  Nation’  and a commercial  nerve centre of the Nation has over the years been confronted with the problem of rapid growing human and vehicular traffic congestion. This problem is largely caused by the rate of rural-urban migration of people  into Rivers State. In fact, recent statistics have shown that over 10,000 people enter Rivers State on a daily basis. This figure results to an estimated five million people that move around Rivers State on a daily basis.

This  geometric  increase  in population  of people  in Rivers  State  as against a rather static infrastructure (road network) development has resulted to a multiplicity of transportation problems in several parts of Rivers State one of which is Port-Harcourt with estimated population of over 2 million is not just affected by transportation problem but also by poor transportation induced  problems  such  as  poverty  and  retarded  economic  development. Fortunately, Port-Harcourt     is blessed with one  viable source of economic development  especially  in  the  transportation  sector;  water.  This  thesis therefore  is  intended  to  examine  the  present  situation  of  inland  water transportation  system in Rivers State  (with special focus on (Port-Harcourt town) as it relates to terminals, and there after proffer architectural design solutions to the circulation  problems associated with them. Chapter one is the introduction of the  topic in a broad spectrum, Chapter two goes on to explain the theoretical framework of the proposed scheme, with emphasis on its  need  and viability.  Chapter  three  focuses  on  case  studies  of existing, purpose-built  Boat Terminal facility. Chapter four   treats site study  which includes  climatic  and  topographical  analysis  of  the  proposed  site  for  the project will be treated as well as planning  principles.  Chapter five, design synthesis and concept will be treated.

CHAPTER ONE

1.0 INTRODUCTION

The Rivers State commissioner for Transport, Hon. George Tolofari Fubara in a welcome address he presented during a 2-day public forum held on the 11th of April, 2012 at the Presidential Hotel, Port Harcourt on the theme ‘revitalising the transport system in Rivers State’, expressed concern  about the spate of traffic congestion in the Port Harcourt metropolis and said…. ‘The Government is doing all it can to see that the issues bothering on transportation system in the state will be a thing of the past’ This information  amongst  other things, exposed the peculiarity of the transportation problem in Rivers State on one hand and the efforts the  State Government is making towards alleviating its inherent impact on the residents of  Port Harcourt. One of the most prominent in his solutions is the rejuvenation of the inland water transportation services which for a long time seems to have been grounded in Rivers State in spite of the  fact  that  over  40%  of  Rivers  State  is  covered  by  water  (Water  Front Department,  Rivers  State  Ministry  of  Environment  and  Water  Resources, 2002).

Water  Transportation,  according  to  Wikipedia  (2008),  is  the  conveying  of material and persons from place to place via water. Transportation has been one of the prime factors in civilization of man and in his ability to move from one  part  of  his  environment  to  another  in  search  of  his  daily  needs  and aspirations.  It has assumed  such dimensions  as one of  the basic  services required   by   man   which   is   very   vital   to   his   general   socio-economic advancement.   Transportation   without  doubt   has   undergone  tremendous, transformation   over  the  years  as   manifested   in  the  various  modes  of transportation   available  to  man   today;  road,  land,  air,  rail  and  water transportation systems, the latter being the subject matter of this research.

Water, as a means of transportation can be inland (within a specific area) or upland (on a wider range of distance). Emphasizing on inland waterways which is the focus of this study, a World Bank survey carried out in 1975 revealed

that  a  large  percentage  of  the  worlds  industry  can  be  served  by  inland waterway  transportation  due  to  its  ability  to  transport  large  volumes  of commodities and services and thereby attracting great population of people to a particular area. For any medium of public transportation to be effective, there is a need for it to have an operational base, the water transportation system is operated from a terminal which depending on the scale of activities may have high or low volumes of human and cargo.

In view of this, one of the primary considerations in a Boat Terminal is that of achieving proper and functional flow in terms of circulation of  both human, cargo and vehicle.   This tries to address the built component of way exploring design in building facility: these include: space planning, articulation of form giving features and building identity,  circulation systems, ventilation and environmental communication.

Circulation is the means by which access is provided through and around a building. (Carpman and Grant, 2002). Circulation routes are  very often key elements in creating an understanding of architecture as users move from one part of a building to another through  an articulate  considered  pattern and sequence of spaces. That part of a room or building required for movement of people from place to place. It is important to note at this point that circulation can  either  be  internal  or  external  (on site).  This study  seeks  to effectively expound these design concepts and establishing of orderliness and flexibility in the relationship between spaces and activities.

Furthermore,  this research seeks to promote an enabling  environment for  the  proper  movement  of  humans,  goods  and  services  by  appropriately integrating the use of circulation.

1.1. BACKGROUND OF STUDY

From the inception of the world, transportation of one form or another has been in existence. This need brought about a gradual and systematic progress from the bush paths to the tarred roads, railway systems, airways  and water

bodies  like  streams,  rivers  and  the  ocean.  The  word  ‘TRANSPORTATION’ according  to Oxford  Learners  Dictionary  (2008)  is  defined as a system  of carrying people and (or) goods from one place to another through means such as vehicles, trains and water to mention a few. But this research specifically concerned  itself  on water  transportation  in the    Niger  – Delta  regions  of Nigeria.

The word BOAT is defined as a small open vessel for travelling across water (Encarta Dictionary, 2009). For the purpose of usage boats are usually smaller than ships, though the word may be used informally for  a  larger passenger vessel. Traditionally, boats were distinguished from ships by size- any vessel small enough to be carried aboard a ship was considered a boat. Today, the boundary between boats and ships is no longer defined with precision. Some larger vessels are called boats, although they are no longer than some ships

Terminals  are  transportation  centres  where  goods  and  people   are transferred  onto  and  off  vehicles.  Terminals  include  ports,  airports,  bus stations, and train stations. The word  ‘TERMINAL’ is defined as the end of a carrier  line  (  such  as  a  railroad,  trucking,  shipping  line  or  airline  with accompanying dockyard facilities, management office, storage shades freights and stations (Gove, 1976). Therefore it will be safe to define Boat Terminal as a place where small water-bound passenger vessels and freights are travelled or carried by  boat across a body of water and which has dockyard and other ancillary facilities.

Long before railways were built, travel on water was much easier than  cross tarred country of forest, swamp and mountains “Even today, when we can go anywhere  quite easily by railways, car or air craft, travel and  transport  by water still has one big advantage; it is relatively cheap” (Eric de Mere, 1965). All over the world were navigable rivers exists, they have  always been used for travel  and  commerce,  and with  this,  towns  and  cities located  along  rivers flourished with activity and transformed into trade centres.

Over  the  years,  due  to  the  increasing   demand  for  the  use  of   water transportation in most city centres, water transport terminals has transformed

into  a  beehive  of  human  activities  ranging  from  trade,  recreation   and hospitality. This phenomenon has drastically increased the flow of human and vehicular  traffic  in  these  facilities.  To  further  illustrate  this  point,  (Chris blow,(1982), opined that the daily increasing need for transport via water has turned its terminals into ‘shopping malls’ rather  than the Victorian  railway stations’.  These  developments  have  turned  the  terminals  into  centres  of human, vehicular and cargo related activities. These activities generate lots of traffic and congestion when they are not properly managed. Spaces like this evoke the need for incorporation of effective and general planning of air, human and vehicular traffic circulation.

Circulation  patterns  are  important  in  organising  elements  of  a  boat terminal,  reflecting  both  simple  functional  needs  and  more  complex value structures. The system or pattern of circulation established within and outside the terminal play an important role in shaping peoples understanding and the use of terminal. Circulation patterns in any terminal should not lack simplicity and clarity. There is therefore an urgent need to improve the flow of pedestrian and vehicular traffic, and to locate  material handling  facilities  and parking appropriately.  Addressing     these  circulation  issues through  comprehensive planning, and design, will enhance the use of  the terminal.

Circulation focuses on way finding in built forms and urban  settings, because  outdoor  way  finding  strategies  in  natural  settings  are   different (Golledge, 1999). In outdoor built environment, properties of spatial layout are more important than program in determining  patterns  of   movement,  while inside buildings, movement “can be understood primarily in terms of specific purposefulness rather than spatial regularity” (Peponis and Wineman, 2002). While  some  state  that circulation  on  exteriors  and interiors is comparable, (Hillier and Hanson 1988). Believe  “there is no homogeneous  continuum  of spatial principles from the very large to the very small” “By virtue of this fact of disconnection, the set of spaces interior to boundaries creates a different kind of system,” related not by spatial continuity but by programmatic or structural similarities.  Users  experience  “interiors  . . . as  conceptual  rather  than  as spatial  entities,”  and  so  their  cultural  and  idiosyncratic  expectations  are

engaged (Hillier and Hanson, 1988). In water transport terminal design, user experience is controlled by two main types of interior layouts, which associate with  “strong  program”  and  “weak  program”  buildings  (Building  Form  and Architectural Features). (Hillier and Hanson, 1988) distinguish these types by the level of social solidarity of the organization occupying the building and its relationship with outside social space. The  organization of spaces affects the cohesiveness  of  the  occupants,  and  “the  stronger  and  more  complex  the structure,  and the  more  exactly  it  is adhered  to,  the  stronger  will be  the solidarity” (Peponis and Wineman 2002)

Different types of buildings will have specific circulation issues. Special design challenges  are confronted  in transportation  terminals,  hospitals  and medical  facilities,  museums  and  other  cultural  facilities,  and  recreational parks. Spatial planning, and articulation of built elements with and circulation systems design in Terminals are commonly the responsibility of architects, site designers, engineers, interior designers to mention a few, but the design team should always include designers of  environmental  information systems and, especially in more complex settings.  (Carpman and Grant, 2002).

There  are  features  that  lead  to  poor  circulation  performance,   including ambiguous   circulation   patterns,   repetitive   architectural    features,   and contradictory articulation of interior and exterior spaces, not properly informed of Government  codes and regulations,  numerous  entrances  undistinguished from one another to mention a few.  Fortunately, environments  that support successful  effective  circulation  application  behaviour  can  also  be  spatially interesting,  sophisticated,  and  clear. In fact, the challenge  of application  of these design factors is  to create interesting  settings that allow for pleasing spatial  experiences  and that are safe, accessible,  and way finding-efficient, despite  any  complexity  they  may  have,  (Arthur  and  Passini,  1992).  With interest  in evidence-based  design  growing  across  the  building  professions, more designers may accept this challenge.

Furthermore,   terminals   are   the   prestige   buildings   and   prestige architectural commissions of our time with most of its structure and relevance valued as ‘priceless’ and as such no expense should be  spared either in the design, construction, renovation or maintenance. They are fast assuming a role in the community that is equivalent to shopping malls, or recreational parks and serve as landmarks to the areas so situated. Research must be carried out thoroughly in order to optimize the  use of activity zoning and circulation in designing  a  port  terminal  to  ensure  the  sustenance  of  the  quality  of  the terminal  which  is  desired  to  preserve  its  function.    This  objective  will  be realized  by  solving  the  various  problems  of  zoning,  human  and  vehicular circulation problems  that are synonymous  with terminals thereby making it attractive to passengers and business travellers of all cadres.

1.2. STATEMENT OF ARCHITECTURAL PROBLEM

Over the years,   water transportation  has been faced with  numerous challenges   as regards circulation within terminals which has failed to create the much needed flexibility and convenience which help to promote a friendly environment for the mobility of commuters, goods and vehicles as well as other services:  Transition  points  are poorly  located  and emphasized,  human  and vehicular movements are conflicting, no designated parking spaces, undefined vessel  loading  and  offloading  points, random  internal  spatial  relativity  and improper  definition  of  activity  zones.  There  is  also  the  problem  of  gross violation of waterfront design requirements as regards proximity of the terminal building to the waterways, location of loading and offloading jetties and vessel maintenance. . This has adversely affected the quality of movement within and around the terminal facility and in some cases, has led to the loss of life and property as a result of avoidable collision and accidents within  and around terminals  .The  existing  ‘make-shift’  terminals  has  also  adversely  affected passenger patronage to this facilities due to their lack of aesthetic appeal and grandeur.

Secondly, It was inculcated that the circulation can be achieved using architectural  signage and super graphics. (Carpman and Grant,  2002). This notion  has  since  become  obsolete  given  the  impact  circulation  and  other inclusive   design   areas  on  human   psychology,   behaviour   occupant-user satisfaction, health, and long-term performance. Not giving proper attention to these concepts reduces the usability of any building design (Espina,1995).

1.3. AIM OF THE STUDY

The aim of this research is to design a Boat Terminal with a focus/study on circulation  ( both internal and external)  aimed at easing  bottlenecks  on internal and external circulation in and around the Terminal.

1.4 OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY

Pursuant to the above aim, the following objectives would be explored:

1. To study the individual elements that constitute  effective  circulation and proponent theories on circulation in order to adeptly understand their Individual effects on the contents of the public spaces.

2. To study on the various systems and methods of applying   circulation into a building site and its interior; as well as study on the benefits and strategies for  proper space relationship design in order to achieve most effective application on public spaces.

3. To understand the most effective way of achieving effective circulation by undertaking studies on existing Boat Terminals where they are effectively employed,  for purposes  of promoting  and improving  on  the strategies they employed in their exterior and interior spaces.

4. To  give  the  users  the  proper  orientation  for  the  attainment  of  an improved standard of living through employment  creation and  general exposure to business of all kinds.

5. To  ensure  that  various  departments  that  make  up  the  terminal  are properly integrated in their right relationships and sizes.

6. To achieve both visual and physical proximity and interaction. To achieve effective air distribution and circulation through integrated courtyards.

7. Planning to enhance the circulation of travellers, staff, visitors,  goods;

and to ensure that conflicts are reduced to the barest minimum.

8. To ensure the provision of services, refuse disposal, sewage disposal to provide  a  terminal  environment  that  boast  of  some  environmental excellence.

9. To carry out a review on similar research works of others related to the current study in order to retrieve significant information and data and apply them to the current study.

1.5 SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY

1. Provision of an alternative means of transportation since Port –Harcourt roads are constantly bedevilled with hold-ups and accident.

2. The Boat Terminal will encourage cooperate and individual investment in

Port -Harcourt since there is a direct and traffic free route into the town.

3. Provision of employment for youths and others alike that will operate the

Terminal.

4. Revenue generation.

1.6 SCOPE OF STUDY

The scope of the project will be limited to the study area ‘ CIRCULATION’ with respect to the design of a Boat Terminal in Port Harcourt  which will include;

a) The Passenger Terminal Building b) Administrative  Services

c)  Shopping Facilities d) Light Cargo Services

e)  Parking Lots (cars, buses and light weight cargo truck)

f)  Mini Banking Services g)  Gas Station

h) Boat Maintenance yard/ Workshop i)  Lodging (for staff)

These  activities  will be in a configuration  that meets  up with the trend  of technological  advancement,  efficiency  and profitability  with the use of  user friendly materials  like glass, steel, wood and concrete  to meet up  with the standards obtainable in other parts of the country and the world at large while ensuring the overall comfort of the users.

1.7 RESEARCH QUESTIONS

The research questions for this thesis are as follows:

a. What are the problems caused by poorly designed circulation systems  in

Boat Terminal?

b. How does a properly articulated and effective circulation system affect the profitability of a Boat Terminal?

These questions will be answered in the course of this work so as to effectively highlight  the  unfathomable   importance   of  the  design   parameter  in  the functionality and viability of any building facility.

1.8  RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

During the execution of the research, the first stage was the selection of an appropriate  site and good conducive environment,  the planning of  factors, selection of case studies, the necessary facilities and their  standards were among the things that had to be determined.

PRIMARY SOURCES: – Primary data collection includes obtaining information from direct sources which would constitute the research methods such as: –

a) Undertaking case studies on existing purpose-built Boat Terminals and other related buildings.

b) Identifying their strengths and weaknesses  on the course of study,  in order to promote and enhance them as the case may be.

c)  Carrying out site visits and studies.

d) Taking  photographs  of  such  visited  existing  facilities  and  producing diagrams for illustrative purposes of such.

e)  Retrieving  information  beneficial  to  the  current  study  from  author’s personal diaries.

SECONDARY  SOURCES:  –  Secondary  sources  include  sources  other  than direct sources as relates to the current study, both published and unpublished material resources. Secondary data is that which has already been collected, compiled and collated by another for a different study other than the current study.  It  can  be  used  to  get  a  new  perspective  on  the  current  study,  to supplement or compare the work or to use parts of it giving deeper significance to the current study.

Secondary data or information method of collection is employed from sources not directly from the author such as: –

a. Records, documents, diaries, and biographies

b. Internationally recognized and accepted research encyclopaedias c.  Published materials and meticulously unpublished materials

d. Readings  and  reviews  from  journals,  seminars,  magazines  and internet sources

e.  Library/computer database

f.  Census and Economic documents, etc

The information obtained by the various methods of research will  culminate into analysis of collected data, deductions from analysis, and postulations of solution which will all culminate into a design proposal.

1.9 LIMITATIONS  OF THE PROJECT

The fact that Boat Terminal construction is principally an  engineering work cannot be undermined as it limits the thesis to the architectural aspects of the port only. The engineering works such as the  dredging of the water, construction of quays, wharves, docks etc are limits to which this work cannot extend.

The process of data generation, analysis, synthesis and documentation of this research work has not been an easy one. The refusal of Government officials to provide  relevant information  and other necessary  assistance  in  many cases hindered the ability to get recorded data The general  insecurity in the Niger Delta  region  of   Nigeria   was also  a serious  contributor  to  the  difficulties encountered by the researcher.

Finally general access to materials and finance were also major constraint to the  success  of  the  research.  Nevertheless,  where  data  is  limited,  genuine deductions were applied.

1.10 MOTIVATION

The motivation behind this research study is the  gross under utilization of the abundant inland waterways of Rivers State in remedying the perennial traffic   congestions   and  its  antecedent   increase   in   mobility   within   the metropolis.   Also, increase in transportation fare and its resultant poverty by virtue of hike in cost of goods and services has always been a thing of strong concern.  Ferry  system  of  transportation  is  gradually  going  into  complete desolation   due   to  very  low  commuter   awareness   and  patronage.   This phenomenon  is as result of uninviting  ‘makeshift’  terminals, accident prone movement pattern within and around terminals, scary waterfronts as a result of improperly designed jetties, poor location of terminals and a host of other factors  which  poses  a  problem  to  staff  and  users  of  the  facility.    Poor circulation  of natural  ventilation  within terminal  internal  spaces which  are feebly  excused  away on the basis of power failure  has generated  so much interest  on  the  author  who  is  seeking  a  way  out  of  all  these  avoidable challenges.

In an unbiased   view, the concept of  circulation is one of the necessities in architecture     more  especially  when  its  controlled  features  are  employed skilfully within a building interior. The beauty and harmony  created by an organized movement pattern and flexibility in the flow of activities under the influence of   circulation leaves behind in the thoughts of the author famous imageries  like the  stockolmes  terminal,  the  torrero  terminal  and a host of others.

All these  have  culminated  into carrying  out this research  work. This  work would help communicate  the author’s visual perception and feelings  for the application of interplay of spaces, activity zoning and general organization of movement  in  achieving  spatial  harmony,  terminal  safety  and  effective  air circulation within and around the terminal facility.

1.11 THE CLIENT/ SPONSOR AND USER The  project  is  sponsored  by  the  State  Government  through  public-private partnership. The users are intercity commuters.

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