Project summary
We were delighted to deliver a retrofit SuDS scheme at Boxford Village Hall for Suffolk County Council as part of the Reclaim the Rain project. Reclaim the Rain is being delivered by Suffolk and Norfolk County councils, with funding from the Environment Agency’s Flood and Coastal Resilience Innovation programme.
The project involves testing new ways of managing and harnessing water in small rural locations with the aim of improving resilience to flood and drought risk across the counties.
For this project, we collaborated with landscape architects Illman Young, and Group company, Carrick Construction. The objective was to construct a rain garden to reduce the risk of flooding in the area, as well as aesthetically improving the venue for the community.
The first phase of the project was Illman Young’s landscape design, which we followed with SuDS engineering designs for phase 2. Once finalised, Carrick Construction followed our specification and built the rain garden.
Working in close collaboration with our partners and colleagues, we ensured a seamless approach throughout which included:
- Review and analysis of concept drawings. This involved understanding where the proposed SuDS features would be and how these integrated with the wider site.
- Project management. Working alongside the key stakeholders and client, we wanted to ensure that the design reflected the objectives, whilst retaining as much of the aesthetic and operational value of the village hall as possible.
- Site survey and assessment. A detailed utilities and drainage survey was carried out, gathering data about the existing site conditions which included topography, soil type, drainage patterns and existing infrastructure. This helped in sizing and configuring SuDS components to effectively manage stormwater on the site.
- Integration with landscape design. We provided a review of the planting plan alongside natural and engineered soil specifications, specifying materials and maintenance requirements. This had to integrate with the landscape design elements and functionality.
“We are extremely pleased with the work that EPG and Carrick have delivered on this project. EPG did a fantastic job with the detailed design, while Carrick executed the construction phase seamlessly from start to finish. The Village Hall Committee and local community in Boxford have expressed their delight with the finished result. It has been a pleasure collaborating with EPG and Carrick on such a successful project.” – Sian Watson, Reclaim the Rain Project Team
Technical design documentation was prepared which included detailed drawings and the specifications for construction. This detailed materials and installation guidelines ensured we remained compliant with regulatory standards and best practices. When the build was ready to commence, we had our team on site to provide construction support and quality assurance.
The challenge
The outline design of the water outlet had to be identified during construction, so we had to ensure that the initial design was flexible enough to tie into other potential outlets.
Solution
When construction began, we worked alongside Carrick Construction to determine what outlets were the most viable. This meant reworking the design quickly to ensure the water was discharged to the correct drains.
By adopting a flexible, collaborative, and adaptive design approach, the project remained on schedule and the design was integrated efficiently and effectively.
The results
The design and build collaboration between Illman Young, EPG and Carrick was delivered smoothly, leaving the village of Boxford with a functioning and aesthetically pleasing site. We helped to establish a monitoring and maintenance plan alongside Carrick to ensure the long-term performance of the SuDS. This included periodic inspections, cleaning, vegetation management and any repairs which were required.
When well designed and constructed, SuDS can provide creative and stimulating features as well as functional ones, enhancing the community and alleviating flooding by slowing the flow, naturally and sustainably.
