Majura Primary School Naturescape
Just like many other large ovals in Canberra, drought and the dry climate reduce the sports field to a dust bowl. Any grass seeds sown in the compact soil are quickly swept away by stormwater runoff or trampled by children running around.
This problem had troubled Majura Primary in multiple areas of their school for a long time, so they partnered with PBDG in hopes that they could work their magic and transform the 60 x 60 meter site into another natural, sustainable educational play area.
The land needed to be stabilised by dramatically increasing its ability to hold water, so the whole landscape is designed with a system that operates alongside the invisible foundations below the ground. Across 3 terraces, 7 mounds are sculpted with 1000 m2 of soil, and 180 lineal meters of water harvesting trenches in the swales hold all the runoff water.
The holding capacity of water catchment is now 100 000 liters, and with this increased moisture content of the soil, the roots of trees can penetrate deeply into the soil and grow 3 times the normal rate of growth.
Specifications
Client:
Majura Primary School
Location:
Watson ACT, Australia
Year:
2016
Team:
Paul Totterdell (Waterharvesting)
Anna O’Halloran (Horticulturalist and Plant Consultant)