WATER PLUS spaces for rain and activity

In the town of Viborg a big marsh area is re-developed into a public space by creating an artificial water landscape that both secures against cloudbursts as well as reduces emissions of phosphorus into the city’s lakes.

The so-called sØnæs (foreland in the lake) project is a 10-acre recreational area, placed at the periphery of Viborgs city center right down to a lake called, Søndersø. The area is a popular destination and stop during a walk or run around around the lakes. Until recently the area, which consists of old marshy ground, served as playing fields for a local football club. The fields were tough to wet in order to be ideal for football. The football club therefore moved to make room for the project.

The most important reason behind the project is that there over the last many decades has been a too high amounts of phosphorus and nitrogen in the lake. The municipality of Viborg therefore decided to make an environmental improvement by cleaning the rainwater through a cleaning dam before it runs into the lake.

Technical solution and recreational value

The water cleaning dam will be constructed with a variable water volume so it also functions as a reservoir for storm water and at the same time secures the nearby areas against flooding.

By designing the technical facility with consideration to the surrounding area, the natural space of the green curvy terrain is preserved as a water park. The dam is set up in the soft, undulating terrain which creates a mutable water park where islands grow and shrink depending on the quantity of rainwater in clean pond and overflow areas. The idea is also to use the improved public space as a recreational area, and as a venue for festivals as well as sports activities throughout the year. 

The sØnæs project demonstrates how climate adaptation can solve, not just the double function of cloudburst mitigation and creating social urban spaces, but a triple function by also introducing water cleaning of phosphorus in the pond.

The project “Byens Vand” (the Water of the City) seeks to show how climate adaptation can bring a traditional park up to date by using the flow of torrential rain to open the park and thus connect city, school and park with plenty of opportunity for activity, relaxation, play and learning.

Lindevangsparken is a green oasis in the densely populated Lindevang quarter in the municipality of Frederiksberg within Copenhagen. The park is a classic urban park, which contains active functions as a playing field, wading pool and a large green area that is popular for sunbathing in the summer. Near the park is the public Lindevang School and adjacent to the park a number of apartment buildings. Today the park acts as an enclosed area with a low degree of visibility through the surrounding hedges and is therefore poorly connected with its surroundings.

The Lindevangsparken is furthermore located between two troughs, which based on cloudburst modeling, made by the utility company Frederiksberg Forsyning, has proven it to be particularly vulnerable. In the past years two extreme precipitation events, including 2 July 2011, large quantities of rainwater were stored on the terrain around the park as the sewage system could not keep up.

Technical solution and recreational value

The technical solution for handling the precipitation consists in directing the water into the park. By transforming the park’s lawn area into an oval tilted bowl and creating a ditch alongside the park, it is possible to withhold the water and relieve the sewage system. Simultaneously, the water is used to irrigate and create a wild urban nature, which allows the planting of fruit trees and bushes. In addition, the water flow can be measured and used as a part of science classes in the nearby school.

Adjacent to the park, the parking area called “the loop” is converted in to a combined stormwater and activity zone for children and adolescents. The loop is formed as the Fibonacci spiral, which invites the school to use the area as an open math lab. The loop will absorb rainwater from the roads alongside the park, and thus receive the water that is not directed into the park.

As one of the early examples of recreational rainwater facilities in Denmark, this urban park transforms an inaccessible and unused plot into a park, activity center, educational laboratory, and water management facility. The project vision is to cleverly collect rain and community through multi-purpose rainwater and play facilities that act as a social lever for local users.

Flooding associated with prolonged summer precipitation and freeze-thaw cycles has steadily plagued Solrød Municipality.  The park design is optimized to collect up to 4000 m³ of rainwater within a small 5,000 m²  site through a playful network of concrete basins, stormwater channels, and green bioswales.

The wedge-shaped project site was selected for its low-lying topography to serve as a natural catch basin, and its high-impact location connecting a high school, residential neighborhood, and local gymnasium.  This recreational rainwater facility anchors these surrounding programs through formal and informal activities that connect to existing recreational, pedestrian and bicycle networks.

This project exploits the natural-water cycles of the area through value-generative rainwater solutions that create opportunities for play, learning, and movement. The design features footpaths and activity loops that connect to a winding skateboarding stormwater channel, a rain garden and education basin, and a large “sport basin” that functions as a year-round activity court.  Each characteristic basin adapts to changing water levels, offering water as a resource to encourage recreation and socialization.

Upon its completion in late 2014, this project will demonstrate how economic, public health, and sustainability challenges can be addressed through strategic planning partnerships and dual-design initiatives for our critical infrastructure.

This project was selected for Realdania and the LOA Foundation campaign,” Water Plus, Space for Rain and Activity” in cooperation with  Rambøll A/S for Solrød Municipality and Greve Solrød Supply.