The Community-led design process (implemented by the Waitemata Local Board in April 2015) has consistently shown the community endorses four main priorities for the whole site, civic open space at 254 Ponsonby Road – aka ‘Ponsonby Park’.
- A place to sit and relax
- A green space
- A place for markets
- A place for events
LandLAB’s international award-winning* Park+ design will provide a social and community hub, as well as vibrant and dynamic space for markets and events to enhance Ponsonby. It will also provide a beautiful green space for people to rest and relax.
These peaceful green spaces will not only nurture the community, but they will also provide tangible solutions to stormwater runoff and the subsequent degradation of our harbours. LandLAB’s Park+ design includes a rain garden, a living green roof, and urban trees.
Rain gardens seek to replicate natural wetland ecosystems. They are built to improve both stormwater disposal efficiency and water quality. They also create habitat by using the natural processes of plants, soils, and associated microorganisms. Rain gardens provide vegetation to trap suspended solids and slow down water flows, whilst the microorganisms that live there process and neutralize some pollutants.
A living green roof is one that is partially or completely covered with vegetation. They serve several purposes for a building including; absorbing rainwater, providing insulation, creating habitat, providing an aesthetically pleasing landscape and helping lower urban air temperatures and mitigate ‘heat island’ effects. They do this by utilizing the natural functions of plants to filter water and treat the air in the urban landscape.
Urban trees sequester carbon, thereby contributing to improved air quality. Additionally, maximum air temperatures for treed areas are lower due to the process of ‘evaporative cooling’. They also reduce and slow stormwater runoff by intercepting precipitation in their leaves and branches.
Ponsonby will be enriched and enhanced by the whole site civic space at 254 Ponsonby Road, aka ‘Ponsonby Park’. It will provide pleasure and enjoyment for everyone who lives, works or visits Ponsonby.
Bring it on!
For more information see our Facebook page: Ponsonby Park.
* The LandLAB design for Ponsonby Park won the international, ‘World Architecture News – Future Civic category’ award in November 2018.
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