U.P.Space Rainwater Garden Renewal | 2020

Beijing, China

Landscape Architects: U.P.Space Landscape Architecture Design Consultants Co., Ltd.Chief Designer: Zou Yubo 
DesignTeam: Gao Tiankuo, Tan Binjie, Liu Lisha, Lin Zhangyi, Xia Lixin, Jiang Siqi, Bai Xue, Sun Teng, and Wang Zhixuan
General Contractor: Contractor U.P.Space Landscape Architecture Design Consultants Co., lLd.
Photographers: Tong Jingxing

The significance of U.P.Space Rainwater Garden lies in its pioneering role in developing localized knowledge for the design, implementation, and maintenance of LID facilities for north China. Retrofitting the garden was one of the first actions taken towards solving flooding.

Located in an old industrial factory, this rainwater garden transformed a 136m² runoff-generating lawn to an artful and spongy landscape that encouraged other businesses within the factory to also retrofit their gardens. Rooftop and driveway runoff flows through a series of bioretention terraces before infiltrating through the central sunken garden. An underground cistern provides additional storage during extreme rainstorms. Purified rainwater is reused for irrigation, car-washing and waterscape. Rooftop rainwater visibly slows down in the first flush pools and dissipates into the cascading terraces.

A variety of plant species have been experimented in the pools to improve the water quality of the roof runoff. Without additional irrigation, careful selection of native plant species ensured a robust lush garden after just one growing season. Rainwater both nourishes the native plants in the central sunken garden and recharges precious groundwater through the infiltrating bioretention soil media. In the Fall, the vibrant golden leaves of the well-preserved ash trees saturate the atmosphere with an electrifying feeling. Gabions filled with recycled rocks from local quarries offer an incredibly low-cost approach to spatial division and rainwater filtering.

A bright-colored permeable FRP platform invites everyone - professionals eager to learn Artful Rainwater Design or neighborhood children - to stay and interact with this functioning landscape. An educational sign unreservedly passes on knowledge gained through the design and construction processes. Day and night, an illuminated firm logo built with salvaged glass boldly expresses the employees' affection towards their workplace. The latest addition to the garden - a custom-designed "Human and Nature" sculpture gifted by an artist friend, brightens up the dull, smoggy and chilly winters of Beijing.

Since completion, the garden has been able to reuse and infiltrate 100% of the curb-cut inflow and runoff (57,060 gal. per year) from the 220m² roof and the site itself. Rainwater trails and garden function are clearly communicated through custom-designed downspout, first-flush pools, the steel and concrete troughs, terrace scuppers and the permeable FRP platform. Flow reduction achievement prompted us to pursue our next research project - evaluating the water quality improvement function of the bioretention. Preliminary test of 17 parameters indicated excellence performance for metals, bacteria, TSS, and petroleum.