Ponds and Lakes
The presence of water in any landscape can both inspire the viewer with awe and appreciation of nature as well as create rich habitats for a variety of plants and animals, so here are some examples of the ponds and lakes we have designed from scratch or modified over the last 20 years.
Remodelling an Existing Pond
This was an existing man-made pond in the grounds of a country estate in the Cotswolds which was leaking and in a poor state of repair with the liner exposed and the rest of the pond overgrown with reeds and algae. Following a topographic survey, the pond was redesigned with the aim to create a natural looking water feature which shall be a haven for wildlife. The existing pond had been poorly constructed, and the liner was exposed and leaking causing a low water level throughout the year and the pond was being choked by reed beds and algae which was neither attractive or an ideal habitat for wildlife.
The pond renovation designs were undertaken using 3D modelling so that the cut and fill could be balanced, and the client could see what the completed pond would look like within the context of the estate overlooked by the main house, see video opposite.
Attenuation Pond Design
Most attenuation ponds are simply large grassy hollows, designed to fill with water following a storm event with the purpose of buffering or reducing the speed of runoff out of the site and onto nearby land which may be vulnerable to flooding.
Here the attenuation pond for a new housing estate could not be constructed within the site boundary but had to be built on the nearby golf course.
Our solution was to increase the surface area of the pond so that there was water permanently in the hollow throughout the year which makes a very attractive feature, brimming with wildlife but still functions as an attenuation pond following a storm event.