By buffering rainwater, a balance can be created in the amount of precipitation that falls during a year. With the project The Pluvert Research has been conducted into how this natural water balance can be applied to the facade zone of buildings. The result is a low-cost, nature-based principle that provides smart drainage and storage of rainwater runoff, the Rainmate®, combines with various greening options. The unique feature of the system is that it operates entirely passively. The even vertical water distribution works without pumps, as do the plant growth structures.
Pluvert
plus + green in the city
Temperature fluctuations are leading to climate change worldwide, resulting in increasingly frequent weather extremes. Areas are experiencing increased flooding, but also droughts when there is no rain for extended periods.
The impact of these changes is greatest in urban areas where the soil's natural infiltration capacity has given way to paving and high building density. As a result, urban areas are heating up faster than they are cooling down (urban heat island effect), and drainage problems are increasingly common during heavy rainstorms.
One solution to reduce the impact of these changes on urban life in the Netherlands is to restore a natural water balance in the city. By buffering rainwater, a balance can be created between the amount of precipitation that falls throughout the year. This can provide water to natural green spaces, which in turn cools the surrounding area.
The De Pluvert project explored how this natural water balance can be applied to the facades of buildings. We see this area as an opportunity, offering ample room for effective and attractive greening of buildings.
The result is a low-cost, nature-based principle that combines the smart drainage and storage of rainwater runoff, the Rainmate®, with various greening options. This allows the facade of virtually any building to be greened based on a water/green balance with a simple add-on system that replaces downspouts.
The unique feature of the system is its entirely passive operation. The even vertical water distribution works without pumps, as do the plant growth mechanisms. This creates new and attractive opportunities to naturally reduce flooding and heat stress in densely populated areas. In this way, buildings can be transformed into urban biotopes and easily integrated into any urban adaptation strategy for areas with year-round rainfall.
Being green has never been so easy.
Partners
Blue innovations Development Rainmate®
Roffaa architects Urban and architectural application Pluvert
Mobilane Sustainable and vertical facade greening
Municipality of Rotterdam
Citylab010