When a well established architecture firm became the new owner of the building they had been renting for over a decade, they promptly set about making all the changes owner, Richard Shugar had been dreaming of. Part of the vision was replacing the asphalt parking area with permeable paving, and reducing that paving to make way for some landscape planters.
When the Council caught wind that this voluntary stormwater improvement was imminent, they stepped in to see if there was interest in taking the project a little further by changing the planters into stormwater planters that manage the roof water. After a site assessment confirmed that roof water could reach the planters, and that the planters could be made big enough to not only filter the stormwater, but to also delay it, which has substantial benefits downstream, the Trout Friendly Landscape project moved forward.
While out of the scope of the TFL funding, Richard incorporated a bridge over the stormwater planter just outside of the office to make a fun, inviting entrance to the office in the summer months when the front garage doors are open, reinforcing one of the goals of the project: to show that stormwater management can be aesthetically and functionally incorporated into landscapes. Similarly, the plants in the stormwater planters are 100% native. As 2fORM works closely with many landscape architects and engineers, their new landscape will act as a demonstration for these professionals, and hopefully inform their future work.
Project Techniques
Sediment drop-outs and forebays: Allow for sediment to drop out in an easy to monitor location that is within reach of existing machinery, and offers ease of access. Sediment clogs green stormwater infrastructure, so prior removal is critical to long term effectiveness.
Constructed wetlands: also known as phytoremediation, the concept is to allow water to be in contact with healthy wetland plant communities and the combination of plants and soil biology slows, filters, and uptakes the water.
Shade islands: By providing an undulating landscape with mounds or ‘islands’, larger shade trees than typically found in wetlands can be planted as the roots can have some drier places to be.
The completed rain garden offers both environmental and economic benefits including:
- Reduction of urban pollutants – especially heavy metals and pesticides, from entering Amazon Creek
- Reduction of erosion – stream bed and bank erosion contribute to sedimentation of the stream
- Improved instream water quality – benefits fish, amphibians, and macro-invertebrates
- Wildlife habitat integration – native plantings into the urban framework benefit local song birds, pollinators, and wildlife
- Distinctive signage – highlights the sight as an example of Trout Friendly Landscaping, educating passersby, visitors, and employees