Moulsecoomb Primary School Rainscape
We transformed a dull, underused courtyard space into a wonderland of rainwater, wildlife, teaching opportunities… and chickens!
Rainwater is made visible in a number of ways including a transparent rainwater pipe (see if you can spot it in the photos), overhead channels, casdade features, watering can inlets, spout overflows, surface channels, letterbox openings, a raised accessible pond, and a central wildlife pond with dipping platform, that has already been colonised by newts.
The design carefully responds to the needs of the school, creating an accessible education and social space for children, however, SuDS functionality – a requirement of the brief and project funding – was woven into the design process as an opportunity for the space. Â
Children can expereince the flow of rainwater, connecting them with and educating them about natural cycles and weather patterns.
They can learn about sustainable rainwater management by seeing it in action.
Relatively clean roof runoff is used as a low nutrient, high oxygen source of water to support wildlife in the central pond, and elsewhere it naturally irrigates the planting, helping it to be resilient to drought.
There are dedicated areas for children to plant and nurture, outdoor teaching areas on permeable paved surfaces and a dipping platform to catch and observe wildlife in the pond.
