The Environmental Protection Group, part of STRI Group, is delighted to have walked away with first prize in the SuDS Awards 2022, winning the ‘Regeneration and Retrofit – Small Scale’ category for their work at Bloc, Manchester.
Delivered alongside other businesses within STRI Group, STRI Ltd on design and Carrick Sports Construction on the install, EPG utilised Polypipe’s polysync and permavoid systems to retrofit a smart blue-green roof on to the office building owned by Bruntwood Works in Manchester.
This outstanding retrofit SuDS project is a fantastic demonstration of how we can capture and reuse surface water to enhance biodiversity, effectively manage storm water and mitigate some effects of climate change, whilst also adding natural beauty to an urban cityscape.
The project proved that smart attenuation tanks can be effective in significantly reducing discharge, as well as showcasing how to retrofit a blue roof onto an existing roof despite major weight constraints.
Polypipe’s polysync system acts as a forecasting hub to hold and release water from the permavoid tanks underneath the wildflower roof, combining the rainwater harvesting tank and the attenuation tank. The smart tank holds water for rainwater harvesting (more than a traditional harvesting system) and makes decisions on whether to discharge based on the incoming weather. The roof then discharges ahead of heavy rainfall, as well as not discharging during the storm event itself when the sewer is at capacity, mitigating the effects of climate change and reducing flood risk.
In addition to effective water management and sustainability, the roof also introduced a more diverse ecosystem, from the wildflower roof and the pollinators that it attracts. This wildflower roof also positively impacts the insulation, keeping the building cooler in summer and warmer in winter.
EPG and STRI Group are thrilled to have been recognised by this award and extend their thanks and congratulations to all involved.
