Rainwater as a sustainable source for watering living walls
- MobiPanel green wall
- Location: Kaatsheuvel, The Netherlands
The new office of housing corporation Casade in Kaatsheuvel sets a new standard in sustainable construction and rainwater management. This project combines innovation with environmentally conscious choices to create a modern and healthy working environment for Casade’s employees. Alongside the connecting spatial quality inside the building, one of the most striking and inspiring features of this office is the integration of living walls and rooftop gardens irrigated with harvested rainwater.
Casade sets a new standard in sustainable construction
At Casade’s new office, all rainwater falling on the building is collected and utilized for the irrigation of the living walls and the vegetation on and around the premises. “The retention capacity is tailored to the need, ensuring little to no reliance on mains water. We will monitor this,” explains Jos Mastop, Director of Mastop Totaaltechniek. Marco Matheeuwsen, Coordinator of Finance and Sustainability at housing corporation Casade, adds: “It is our requirement to utilize all rainwater from the building and premises on-site. We strongly embraced the cascade principle for water management, where rainwater is collected, reused, and applied locally in various steps before possibly being discharged. This ensures efficient and sustainable water use.”
Efficient irrigation of living walls
The innovative water management system contributes to the project’s sustainability in multiple ways. “Using rainwater instead of costly drinking water is, of course, a significant step forward. So far, mains water has been relatively cheap, but water utilities are gradually facing limits when it comes to supply security,” explains Jos Mastop. By reusing rainwater for the vegetation, an important step is also taken toward more efficient water use and reducing environmental impact. Marco Matheeuwsen emphasizes: “This approach aligns with our ambition to build in a climate-adaptive and sustainable way. We didn’t just want a technically sound solution but also aimed to contribute to a more pleasant living and working environment for both our employees and the surrounding residents. The focus on greenery fits perfectly into this urbanized area, making the overall environment more livable.”
Collaboration as a key factor
“We initially participated in a tender process, but another landscape architect was selected to design the project,” explains Jasperina Venema of Van Helvoirt Groenprojecten. “However, they were less familiar with the technical aspects of the unique rooftop gardens we implemented here. As a result, we were eventually brought into the construction team with the agreement that we would also execute the project ourselves.”
This collaboration proved crucial to the project’s success. Jasperina continues: “The way we reuse rainwater to green the entire building is highly innovative and goes well beyond merely retaining rainwater on-site. Rainwater is stored on several roofs in high-capacity retention crates and used for irrigating the living walls, rooftop gardens, vegetation on canopy edges, and ground-level plantings. Additionally, the green design contributes to promoting biodiversity by providing nesting opportunities for birds and food for insects.”
Innovative solutions and challenges
“The way we utilized rainwater is still a new approach, so it took quite some time to engineer it properly,” explains Jasperina. “It placed additional demands on the roof structures and façades. Moreover, an irrigation system had to be developed that was both suitable and reliable for the living walls. If rainwater is unavailable, the system automatically switches to mains water. Through intensive collaboration with the installers in the construction team, we managed to achieve this.”
Another challenge was coordinating the installation schedule. “The work had to follow the construction progress but also had its own timeline. For example, the living walls could only be installed once the retention roof and irrigation system were completed,” Jasperina explains. “This occasionally created some tensions, but in the end, everything came together successfully.”
Use of natural and reusable materials
The office, designed by Casade and Huizenhoog Architecten, was built with sustainability and future-proofing as key pillars. In addition to the living walls, numerous other sustainable measures have been implemented. More than half of all materials used in the building are biobased, recycled, or reusable, and the insulation is made from natural materials. The building has a low energy demand and is equipped with solar panels and a battery system featuring smart energy management to ease the load on the grid. This contributes to lower CO2 emissions and the generation of renewable energy.
Inspiration for the future
“A green environment benefits the well-being of employees and visitors,” says Jasperina. “Casade’s target group—tenants with smaller budgets—and the employees who work closely with them benefit from a workplace that promotes health and well-being. Moreover, Casade demonstrates that a housing corporation can address societal issues such as climate change and biodiversity loss.”
By integrating smart technologies, Casade shows that living walls are not only aesthetically appealing but also serve a functional purpose in sustainable construction. “This project is a great example of how new solutions can be applied to other projects as well,” Jasperina concludes.
Project details
- Client: Housing Corporation Casade
- Architect: Huizenhoog Architecten
- Contractors: Van der Heijden Bouw en Ontwikkeling, Van Helvoirt groenprojecten, Verstappen van Amelsvoort, Van Hees Elektrotechniek en Van de Beeten
- Location: Jan de Rooijstraat 43, Kaatsheuvel – The Netherlands
- Construction Start: Oktober 2023
- Commissioned: November 2024
- Product: MobiPanel living wall system