Attenuation ponds slow or prevent storm water run-off, improving drainage so as to help prevent flooding. This project features the UK’s first biologically filtered attenuation pond situated on a podium above commercial space. The garden is also protected by a noise attenuating green wall that reduces noise by over 30dB while also absorbing particulate pollution.
This high-rise mixed-use regeneration scheme is in a challenging urban setting, sandwiched between a flyover on the A13 and the Barking Road, east London.
A socially integrated development, the scheme consists of multi-storey residential blocks for 500+ market and affordable units. These are delivered over three phases. The blocks enclose public and private squares, podium and rooftop gardens and terraces.
Sustainable urban drainage has been central to the Phase 1 development; rainwater is collected from brown and green roofs at multiple levels and diverted to irrigate a shared garden and a 4m high vegetated acoustic barrier. Rainwater also feeds an attenuating pond with a 40m3 capacity; the centrepiece of the podium garden, circulating via a water rill that doubles as an attractive and playful feature.
Phase two of the scheme delivers further mixed-use and residential accommodation, the community buildings and the bulk of the public realm including the new market square. The second phase features large areas of biodiverse green roof as attenuation with ‘blue roof’ technologies, collecting and storing storm water at high level. Large capacity underground tree rooting cells form an intermediate stage of attenuation and help irrigate trees.
Credits as supplied:
Client: English Cities Fund
Architect: CZWG
Landscape Architect: Churchman Landscape Architects Ltd
Structural Engineer: Ramboll
Mechanical & Electrical Engineer: Hilson Moran
Cost Consultant: Rider Levett Bucknall
Project Manager: Buro Four
Planning Consultant: Longboard Consulting
Water Feature Engineers: Kingcombe Aquacare
Contractor: John Sisk & Son
