Whitby retrofit - walking the talk! - light case study

Where

The existing combined system property drainage configuration gave the designer a number of challenges, which this innovative and bespoke solution elegantly overcame.  As a flood risk and sewerage professional, the client (and designer!) also had a keen professional interest in making sure that the property alterations made a positive contribution to managing water in the catchment!

The design runs the roof water into a series of inter-connected raised beds, with any additional runoff then overflowing to a rubble-filled trench.

Flow from the roof is collected by a traditional gutter and downpipe, which then runs into the bottom of a series of raised beds, inter-connected by perforated pipework surrounded by a single-size gravel medium.  Vertical wicks run through a barrier layer into the soil to facilitate the drawing up of moisture into the soil.  The beds are all lined with a waterproof membrane, and an overflow ensures that the level in the beds doesn’t waterlog the upper layer of the growing medium.

Though trench is substantial, the local clay soil meant that this would not have been sufficient without the additional capacity offered by the raised beds. 

Should the rubble-filled trench reach capacity, this is designed to overflow onto an existing concrete hardstanding surrounded by a mature hedge and trees.