We installed a series of large-scale timber SuDS Planters to manage rainfall and roof runoff. Each planter stretches between 5 and 6.5m in length, capturing rainwater directly from roof downpipes.
The issue
This school in Newcastle was suffering from surface water flooding, a common issue in concrete-dominated school grounds. The excess water was disrupting pupils' outdoor learning and made moving around the school a lot more difficult for both students and teachers.
Rain water collected on the 800m² roof top by gutters and additional overland flow were both competing for the same drains which was putting pressure on the existing drainage systems, causing severe overflow.
Timber SuDS planters in Newcastle
What was our solution?
Our team designed and fabricated a SuDS planter solution to address the issue. As the flooding was severe and affecting a large stretch of the outdoor space, we tailored our planters to cover this space, work optimally to manage the large roof runoff and connect seamlessly with the existing drainage infrastructure at the site.
The final project consisted of:
- 5 large timber SuDS Planters
- Each planter measuring between 5 and 6.5m in length
- Connection to 4 pre-existing downpipes
- Over 450 plants with species selected specifically for drought tolerance and weather conditions
- Timber selected for natural textures and sustainable properties
Designed to fit any site, scale and requirements
Our SuDS Planters are tailored to every site and project. In Newcastle, we designed the planters to align with the full stretch of the exterior of the building and connected them to existing downpipes and gutters to control roof runoff more effectively.
Inside the planter, we used a specialised soil mix tailored to support drought-tolerant planting and optimise rain water absorption to keep the SuDS system working year-round.
The plant selection was also designed site-specifically with a mix of shady and sun-loving plants depending on the position of the planters to the sun. Choosing hardy and resilient plants helps ensure the planting remains robust and long-lasting.
At this scale, SuDS planters become a highly effective solution for managing large volumes of rainfall and roof runoff while enhancing outdoor spaces.
