Kirkebjerg Residential Area

Following a joint investment decision between Brøndby Municipality and HOFOR – Greater Copenhagen Utility, a number of climate adaptation interventions have been implemented in the areas around the multy family homes, which, due to their second function as recreatinal space, benefit both the residents and other residents in Brøndby.

Address: Brøndby Housing Association, department 601, Kirkebjerg

Elements: Raingardens, infiltration basins, open rainwater gutters, delay basins, recreational green elements

Participants: HOFOR, Brøndby Housing Association (dept. 601), Gaihede Engineers an Architects

There is a known risk for flooding in the area. The purpose of the project is therefore to redirect stormwater away from the combined sewer system, by providing rain water retention spaces on the surface. Besides buffering rain water, the solution also redirects thousands of cubic meters of rainwater annually away from the sewers into natural infiltration elements.

Instead of lawn plains, the outdoor areas in the residential area of Kirkebjerg now feature a varied landscape with green hills and many green basins and trenches. Water is discharged into the system via open rian gutters. The new landscape encourages residents to use the common outdoor areas for play, relaxation, walking and whatever else the imagination can come up with.

The climate adaptation elements (open gutters, rain gardens, open basins) fill with water during heavy rainfalls. Water that can not be infiltrated quickly enough discharges into the sewer system through small outlets in the elements or via an overflow struchture, in the case that all elements are filled to maximum capacity.

The residents of Brøndby Hosing Associations Dept. 601 had, even before the project was started, acknowledged that there was a flooding problem. They therefore set up a working group, which subsequently contributed to the Climate Adaptation project with their knowlede. The groups involvement in all steps of the project has resulted in many small adjustments in the design, which represented the residents’ wishes.