PRODUCT PROFILE
HIGH & DRY A superior drainage system keeps users of Green Square’s public library safe and dry in all kinds of weather
E
ver walked through a public space or building forecourt and been grateful for the lack of puddles, despite relentlessly driving rain? You can thank the innovative
commercial-sized stormwater pits for the Green Square Library and surrounding plaza. Once a network of swamps, wetlands and creeks subject to flooding, Green Square is
in October 2018. Wanting to attract visitors for a range of cultural activities, Council’s request for a “beautiful, functional and sustainable design” for the library was more than adequately
drainage and stormwater management systems hidden beneath hardscaped surfaces for your dry feet. Keeping our built environment from going under, our streets safe for traffic and our pedestrians from being swept downstream when the rain sets in is the goal of good stormwater management in any city. Helping to keep Sydney safe from such weather-related disasters is Stormtech, leading specialists in commercial and civil drainage. Working on Green Square, Sydney’s first town centre in over 100 years, Stormtech was contracted to provide custom drains for all doorways and downpipes, and standard and
currently being transformed into a new town centre where people can connect, learn, relax and play. Designed to be a resilient and welcoming residential, commercial and cultural community, Green Square combines “sustainable infrastructure with community spirit, lifestyle and character”; according to the City of Sydney. With over $540 million committed over the next 10 years to producing a range of public facilities, Green Square is a mammoth and exciting civil undertaking. Part of the scheme included an underground library set within a beautiful public plaza; opened
met. The building’s 2300-square-metre space includes a subterranean garden at its centre, along with an amphitheatre and café, while the adjoining plaza provides shaded spaces for reading and relaxing, along with moveable chairs and lawn space for pop-up events, and a water play zone. Combining function with flexibility to create a new style of urban living, the project has received a 5-star rating from the Green Building Council of Australia. A contributing factor in achieving this rating was the central wastewater system, which Stormtech had an integral part in delivering. The clever, sustainable design means
30 | ODS Exemplary Showcase
