Bristol Living Rivers Project - Sustainable Urban Drainage & Green Roofs

Sections:

Sustainable Urban Drainage Systems

The purpose of Sustainable Urban Drainage Systems (SUDs) is to store and clean surface water runoff in the city. The central concept is that water management for development sites should mimic, wherever possible, the existing drainage characteristics of the area, and seek to minimise the effects of development on the hydrology of the site and the surrounding environment.

Just as in a natural catchment, drainage techniques can be used in series to change the flow and quality characteristics of the runoff.This results in decreased risk of flooding and pollution of rivers, as well as creation of natural habitats. Conventional drainage systems can contribute to flooding and pollution - a different approach is therefore needed to reach a more sustainable solution.

SUDS do not operate as a series of isolated drainage devices, but are designed and function holistically. Each component adds to the performance of the whole drainage system, and the natural water patterns of a site are respected.

In recent years, Bristol City Council has been encouraging the inclusion of sustainable drainage elements as part of new developments. Guidance is provided in a published planning document (SPD 5 - Sustainable Building Design and Construction). The collection of site-profiles presented here illustrates some of the results. Many more examples are currently being designed and constructed, which will allow us to expand this collection over time.

The sites we have included are mainly located in the city and surrounding areas. However, we have also featured what we regard as some of the most far-reaching and inspiring examples from around the world. Perhaps, in the near future, Bristolians will be able to enjoy an ecologically designed water zone as impressive as Tanner Springs Park in Portland, Oregon ?

[back to top]

Green Roofs

“ I am strolling in a field listening to crickets and watching birds pluck insects from the dirt. Wildflowers bend in the wind. Warblers and thrushes flit about in tall native grasses and soar over the rolling terrain. The scene is rich, beautiful and lively - some might say wild. But this landscape is also a cultural space; I am standing on top of a building.”

William McDonough, Eco-design Pioneer

A city-wide network of green roofs can result in cleaner and more controlled water runoff, reduced energy demand, improved wildlife habitat, cooler summer temperatures and an enhanced sense of well-being. Architects, landscape designers and planners are increasingly realising the benefits of this approach - both for individual buildings and the wider environment.

Green roofs are a key component of efforts to transform cities into ecologically sustainable places, able to meet the challenges of the future while providing beautiful surroundings for urban dwellers.

Wildlife also benefits - preserving biodiversity is especially important in urban areas, where fragmentation of green space, pollution and noise create hostile environments for flora and fauna. Building on brownfield land can also result in habitat loss. Native, and locally distinctive, species can be part of a green roof planting scheme, e.g. in Bristol’s case, the unique flora of the Avon Gorge.

Living roofs are now encouraged through the development planning system in the city. If a site is appropriate, the City Council will work with architects and developers to arrive at the optimum outcome. A selection of case-studies highlighting some completed schemes in Bristol and surrounds are available & present some impressive national and international examples.

Perhaps one day, we will see a building similar to Japan’s ACROS Centre in the middle of Bristol?

[back to top]

Events

Green Roofs & SUDs in Bristol Exhibition - at the CREATE Environment Centre, throughout summer 2008.

Day long practical DIY Green Roofs event - at the CREATE Environment Centre, planned for Autumn 2008.

Local Green Roofs Case Studies - Available from the CREATE Environment Centre or to download

National and International Green Roofs Case Studies - Available from the CREATE Environment Centre or to download

Local SUDs Case Studies - Available from the CREATE Environment Centre or to download

National and International SUDs Case Studies - Available from the CREATE Environment Centre or to download

[back to top]

Contact us

for more details - please contact

Antony Lyons / Rowan Matthiessen
Environment Team
Bristol City Council
CREATE Environment Centre
Smeaton Road
Bristol
BS1 6XN

Email - antony.lyons@bristol.gov.uk
Email - rowan.matthiessen@bristol.gov.uk

Tel - 0117 922 4473 / 0117 922 4459

[back to top]