By Damian Holmes
A prevalent problem facing cities and regions is inadequate stormwater infrastructure. Sixteen billion gallons of raw sewage get dumped into Philadelphia’s rivers and streams each year after rain events. Because wet-weather flow is a dispersed problem, it has become increasingly clear that it requires a dispersed solution. Consequently, cities have started to explore alternatives for stormwater capture and treatment that are decentralized and incremental, rather than a system-wide upgrade. Individual lots in aggregate can have a significant impact on water quality. With funds being directed towards infrastructure rather than recreational or public space per se, we must explore creative ways to use infrastructural improvements as open space amenities.
This project explores the efficacy of customized substrates to develop alternatives to conventional on-site stormwater collection. Utilizing digital modeling and computer-controlled fabrication, we were testing whether or not manipulating geo-cells (three dimensional in-grade structures filled with gravel, soil or plants) can produce innovative infiltration features that combine their functional requirements with a visibly expressive surface that can add color, pattern and texture to vacant sites. Geo-cell configurations are currently limited by their uniform geometry. By varying the cellular shape, density and profile, we can fabricate them to produce a greater degree of variety and thus be more responsive to the opportunities of small urban sites. READ MORE >>
PHOTOS: World Landscape Architecture
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