Right in the middle of the city, the Van Eyck Park residential project is taking shape as a contemporary, green living environment. Behind the scenes, well-conceived water management plays a crucial role. For this project, the entire underground sewage structure, a retention basin with an infiltration system, and an intensive green roof were realized using solutions from Deschacht. Thanks to the collaboration between main contractor AB Eiffage and green specialist Kreekhof Tuinen, a technically robust and sustainable solution was achieved, where water retention and urban greenery go hand in hand.
Green living in an urban context
The Van Eyck Park project is located right in the middle of the city and combines contemporary living with green landscaping. In an urban context where space is scarce, it is becoming increasingly important to integrate greenery into new developments. At the same time, construction projects are facing stricter regulations regarding rainwater management and infiltration. Van Eyck Park responds to this by combining three systems:
- underground water infrastructure
- a buffer basin with an infiltration system
- an intensive green roof on top of the parking garage
This immediately establishes the link with Deschacht's expertise and products.
Underground sewage structure as foundation
The basis of the water management in Van Eyck Park lies underground. For the project, a complete underground sewage structure was installed, including all PE pipes and various custom-made PE manholes. This infrastructure ensures the efficient drainage and management of rainwater and wastewater within the project. Connected to the sewage network, a buffer basin was installed to temporarily collect rainwater. For this purpose, infiltration solutions with Control Boxes capable of buffering over 50,000 liters of rainwater for slow infiltration were implemented. These were installed in two lines depending on the available space on the site. Main functions of the system:
- temporary rainwater retention
- controlled infiltration into the soil
- reduction of peak load on the sewage system
Intensive green roof above an underground parking garage
One of the most striking elements of the project is the intensive green roof that was installed on top of the basement level, which serves as a parking garage. In this way, the available space is utilized to the maximum, and a fully-fledged green area is created above the underground infrastructure. To bridge the height difference between the basement and the surrounding buildings, a slope system made of Isomo was first constructed on top of the basement's waterproofing. This was necessary to bridge a level difference of nearly one meter and connect correctly to the facades. On top of that, an intensive green roof system from Deschacht was installed with a total surface area of approximately 1,050 m². The system consists of several layers that together ensure protection, water retention, and drainage:
- Greenfix Protect 300 g
- Greenfix Filter 100 g
- Greenfix root barrier film 0.5 mm
- Greenfix Drain Premium Heavy (10 cm)
Results of the green roof:
- high water buffering
- efficient drainage
- protection of the roof structure
- space for intensive planting
- contribution to urban biodiversity
- By using drainage pipes up to a diameter of 200, all rainwater falling on the site's roofs is used as a natural water supply for the roof garden. Through a complex system of drainage pipes, inspection chambers, and drainage foils, the rainwater is maximally utilized as natural irrigation for the plants in the roof garden before, in case of excess, further infiltrating into the ground via the Control boxes.
Strong cooperation between contractors
The general contracting of the project is in the hands of AB Eiffage, which was responsible for the coordination and realization of the residential project. For the sewerage works and the installation of the green roof, they collaborated with Kreekhof Tuinen. This company is known for its expertise in landscaping, green roofs, and water retention within complex construction projects. According to Simon of Kreekhof Tuinen, the collaboration with Deschacht is an important added value for such projects: “For projects like Van Eyck Park, a well-considered approach to water retention and green roofs is essential. With Deschacht, we are working with a partner that not only supplies the right products, but also has the necessary technical expertise. That makes it possible to arrive at sustainable and well-thought-out solutions, even in a complex urban context.”
Van Eyck Park is an example of how construction projects can contribute to a climate-resilient city. By integrating water and greenery into the building structure, a system is created that tackles multiple challenges simultaneously:
- reduction of flooding
- better rainwater infiltration
- greening of densely built-up areas
- efficient use of space
- improvement of quality of life
