The Octagon roof garden project
AquaCell NG installed in record time at 110 home development
What you need to know
- Customer: Synchroon
- Architect: NL architects
- Contractor: DS Landscape
- Products used: Wavin PolderRoof & AquaCell NG
Creating sustainable green spaces on flat roofs
Launched in the heart of Leiden in 2019 by Synchroon, the Octagon construction project features two residential towers, each constructed in a striking octagonal shape. Synchroon, alongside NL-architects and DS Landscape, wanted to ensure that the project brought new life to the urban space, revitalizing the surrounding city through the Octagon’s bold architectural design and green initiatives. To top off the project, they wanted to transform the buildings’ rooftops into lush, biodiverse gardens, but drainage on the flat roofs proved a challenge. Efficient rainwater management was vital to ensure the gardens could be created sustainably.
The team needed an innovative solution that would effectively store water, support roof drainage and be easy to install without
requiring excessive transport or crane lifts. To make this vision a reality, Synchroon turned to Wavin’s PolderRoof, with expert
installation support from DakDokters (The Roof Doctors).
A smart approach to managing urban water and plants
The PolderRoof system, offered the drainage solution the flat roofs needed with a low-maintenance system for irrigating the rooftop plants - all thanks to its AquaCell installation crates. Hidden beneath the greenery, these help create an effective water retention system. By temporarily storing water to reuse or release
at a controlled rate, they ensure optimal rainwater management during heavy rainfall and irrigation during dry periods.
This smart system is a practical and low-maintenance solution. It works automatically and in connection with local
weather forecast through the PolderValve via Wavin iConnect, Wavin's intelligent cloud platform. This ensures that rain water is always captured on the roof and that it is available for irrigation. Moreover, all the information on the status of the system
and historical sensor data is remotely accessible 24/7 via Wavin iConnect.
“We are driven to bring more greenery to the city with rooftop gardens and parks. [But] the challenge with these roofs is that they are completely flat. They require clever control technology to make water storage possible.
Wavin supported us with a smart design for water retention.”Jasper Hoogendoorn, Project Leader, The Roof Doctors
