Lower Factory Pond

The two-stage powerstation in the industrial area Jenny in Ziegelbrücke has been replaced by a new, singel-stage powerstation. According to the significant intervention in the channel landscape, the authorities demanded a variety of environmental comensation for the new Lower Factory Pond. Moreover it was to comply with the needs of the loft-residents and the requirement of flood protection. The Lower Factory Pond is in neighborhood to an orchard and a park, designed by Evariste Mertens in the second half of the 19th century. The north side of the pond area is dominated by the former factory building (today loft apartments). The Pond must function as a technical construction with three to five flushes per year and should be created in the tradition of man-made canals and ponds.

Headlands restructure the pond in five chambers which are connected to each other. In the case of a flood the terrain modeling allows a short time flush into the old channel. Shallow water areas guarantee the survival of aquatic fauna. Embankments caused by terrain modeling at different angles and exposures will produce a high biodiversity. A diverse native plant selection forms the basis, consisting trees, wild shrubs, floating-leaf plants and wildflower. The loft-residents can enter the waterpark on a wooden porch. The planting emphasizes the topography and determines the view, responding to the narrow space. Year after year, the space will get stronger by tree growth. The whole project was created exclusively with locally available materials which helped improve the sustainability.