ROLE:
LOCATIONS: Chatham, Kent
CLIENT:
Background & Objectives:
Groundwork were commissioned by the Griffin Schools trust to provide solutions to extensive Flooding problems affecting Lordswood School. Major flooding events the spring previous to our appointment, the school was forced to temporarily close due to significant surface water run off running through the centre of the main school buildings. Sat over heavy clays and with a drainage system that wouldn’t reliably convey water from problem areas, Groundwork’s landscape architects set about designing SuDS that worked with the natural contours of the site.
Design Solution
There were two above ground flow routes available to the design team. The first was to move surface flows around the building where possible, via a series of sales and check dams, which were designed to have play value as part of an early years garden space. The second implemented a long raingarden with gabion inlets to collect run off from the playground, with permeable infiltration strips providing further infiltration. Planting was selected for its value to pollination as well as innate ability to tolerate free draining soils, providing a beautiful backdrop to the playground and increase in biodiversity. All surface water can be attenuated on site to 1 in 100 + 20% volume.
