Water Garden Tanks and Green Wall from KHD

VersiWall and VersiTank at Vermont Primary School

Vermont Primary School is one of many schools around Australia that are embracing green projects when outdated infrastructure needs to be upgraded.

KHD was invited to join the project team when an outdated storm water system was being decommissioned. This presented an opportunity to bring in new and better solutions embracing the principles of Water Sensitive Urban Design.

The design for the new storm water system was adopted for three water gardens. Versitank modules were installed beneath the gardens, which detains surges of stormwater from the school roofs during heavy rain events. The modules were wrapped in geofabric to allow water to percolate back into the subsoil. The tanks are connected to the existing stormwater system as a back up if the system reaches capacity. The tanks slowly release water over time into the surrounding soil enabling the plants to take up the available water.

This project also included a 10 square metre VersiWall installed on the library wall. This area was identified as an opportunity to reduce heat in the immediate area. The area is a concrete amphitheatre and acts as an outdoor education space, which during summer heats up substantially. The Versiwall will help mitigate the heat island effect in the space and also improves the aesthetics of the brick wall.