New housing developments are increasingly adopting innovative solutions to mitigate the effects of climate change, particularly rainfall and flooding. These include permeable pavements, green roofs, rain gardens, and retention basins, which help manage stormwater effectively and reduce runoff. In cities, rainwater management is being enhanced through water-sensitive urban design, the expansion of green spaces, and zoning regulations that limit impermeable surfaces. Construction practices are evolving to prioritize resilient designs, elevated foundations, and adaptable infrastructure, while modern materials like self-healing concrete and technologies such as smart water-monitoring systems are proving invaluable in building resilient cities. Together, these measures are shaping sustainable urban environments that address the challenges posed by climate change.
Tomasz Kaleta, managing director of sales and marketing at Develia:
Climate change requires an innovative approach to building, with a particular focus on eco-friendly solutions and technologies. We actively take measures to reduce water consumption, collect rainwater and reuse grey water. We pay particular attention to water conservation in our investments. Where possible, we build retention tanks that act as storage facilities for rainwater, which is then used to water the greenery on the estates. This significantly reduces the use of potable water. In addition, in order to reduce the outflow of rainwater into sewer systems, we design and establish rain gardens.
When constructing new estates, we also incorporate technologies that enable grey water to be reused. This type of solution not only favours the environment by adapting to climate change, but also helps to reduce the operating costs associated with maintaining water infrastructure. Remarkably, a commitment to sustainable water management will be an integral part of Develia’s ESG strategy, which we are currently working on.
Mateusz Bromboszcz, vice-president of Atal:
Development activities are governed by a strictly defined legal framework, where many technical or legal aspects result from laws, regulations and local law. This also applies to the issue of rainwater management. This sphere is not standardised by nationwide regulations, so cities have individual policies in this area.
We take these local specifics into account and implement our projects accordingly. In practice, this means that we analyse and calculate rainfall coefficients in detail, build rain gardens and retention basins on housing estates according to local requirements, as exemplified by our investments in Gdansk. Moreover, the aforementioned activities are part of the broader context of building green infrastructure in our housing complexes.
Adrian Sączek, Director of the Developer Sales Department at the Mint of Poland – Bulwary Praskie investment:
The answer to climate change in the context of housing construction in cities, at least where possible, should be retention and increasing the so-called biologically active area in housing estates. So that the increasingly frequent torrential rains do not cause localised flooding, and rainwater can be safely discharged into the stormwater drainage system and possibly collected in reservoirs and used to water green areas during non-rainy periods. Of course, new technologies are already emerging, such as the use of so-called grey water, but unfortunately this is not yet common.
Małgorzata Mellem, Member of Budlex Management Board:
Climate change and its effects, such as increasingly frequent heavy rains and localised flooding, require comprehensive measures. Sustainable urban planning, which takes into account the adaptation of cities to extreme weather events, plays a key role here. In managing rainwater, it is essential to implement solutions such as retention systems, green roofs, permeable pavements or infiltration basins, which can effectively reduce the risk of flooding.
Construction should adapt to new challenges through the use of modern technologies and materials with a low carbon footprint, which at the same time increase resilience to climate change. Sustainability, including the implementation of ESG standards, plays a key role here. In our developments, we use solutions that minimise our environmental impact while supporting the building of more resilient and friendly cities of the future.
Joanna Chojecka, sales and marketing director for Warsaw and Wrocław at Robyg Group:
It’s true, a sustainable approach to construction is becoming more and more important. We have been paying a lot of attention to this aspect for years. In order to reduce our impact on the environment, we are implementing modern, pro-environmental solutions to take care of the environment and reduce the costs of everyday life, as well as a set of standards and design guidelines for architects, designers and subcontractors. Most of our estates are equipped with a minimum of 5 low-emission solutions, such as LED lighting in common areas, triple-glazing, heat exchangers, systems control systems, lifts with heat recovery, motion and dusk sensors or green roofs.
In addition, extensive green areas, rain gardens, playgrounds, gyms and HD video surveillance are designed for each estate. Special walking areas are prepared, as well as birdhouses and insect houses. We also use façade paints and anti-smog cubes to absorb pollution.
We are actively promoting micro and electromobility by installing chargers for electric cars and solar benches, but also building cycling infrastructure in the form of bicycle racks and bicycle repair stations. All these solutions help to reduce the carbon footprint of our estates in the operational phase, i.e. during the use of the buildings. In order to reduce emissions during the building phase, we have pledged to switch to 100 per cent renewable energy in construction processes by the end of 2024. Such a step will significantly reduce the carbon footprint and contribute to reducing CO2 emissions.
Our company has implemented 51,374 sq m of green roofs, and we have planted bird and insect-friendly shrubs and 4,697 trees on 135,895 sq m of land. 27 of our estates have rainwater drainage systems for greenery in common areas.
Karolina Bronszewska, Director of Marketing and Innovation at Ronson Development:
Understanding the challenges posed by these changes, we implement innovative solutions in our projects. An example is the EKO Falenty investment, where a comprehensive rainwater management system has been applied. Water from the buildings’ roofs is discharged via external downpipes and linear drains into an open retention reservoir located on the estate. This makes it possible to both collect and reuse rainwater, e.g. for watering the greenery on the plots.
Such solutions are an excellent example of how to change the approach to building in response to climate change. Water retention and reuse systems not only reduce the risk of localised flooding, but also support the sustainable management of water resources.
Aleksandra Słodka, Space Architect at Archicom:
Everything points to the fact that in the future we will increasingly have to deal with heavy rainfall as one of the effects of current climate change. As a result, the risk of localised flooding is increasing dramatically, especially in large cities. This is mainly due to the increasing proportion of paved surfaces, which prevent water from penetrating deeper into the soil. During torrential downpours, when drainage systems are not sufficiently efficient, water collects in unsuitable places, which in turn causes damage to infrastructure and other destruction. In addition, water flowing too quickly over paved surfaces does not circulate properly and is therefore ‘lost’.
The solution to this situation seems uncomplicated. The retention of water in urban areas needs to be increased, which is significantly helped by plants. Using greenery to slow down the water cycle is the first and simplest solution. A mature tree is able to evaporate 500 litres of water per day, and additional planting of shrubs, lower plants or even lawns have a positive effect on this balance. The water is retained in the leaves, runs down into the substrate and does not run off uncontrollably. Using the vertical surfaces of buildings as a planting plane for climbing plants is another positive direction. Green walls do not heat up as much as walls without plants. Greenery in the city therefore reduces the effects of the heat island phenomenon, improves the microclimate and air quality by being a natural filter for pollutants. Methods that help slow down the water cycle within the design of a development also include rain gardens, pocket parks, drainage boxes and green roofs. It is also worth opting more often for reinforced lawn areas or localised, ‘openwork’ solutions, rather than solid concrete surfaces.
Tomasz Trzyszka, Technical Director Aurec Home:
Climate change, leading to more frequent and more intense downpours, poses a major challenge for cities as it leads to flooding and rainwater problems. To counteract the effects of these phenomena, sustainable solutions are needed that take both ecological and technological aspects into account. Effective rainwater management requires proper urban planning, with the use of green areas such as parks or suitable reservoirs that allow infiltration. Increasing these areas will allow water to be retained and gradually absorbed. Modern building technologies such as permeable paving, green roofs and retention systems can effectively support cities in managing excess water. Rainwater recovery can also be used to irrigate urban green spaces or housing estates.
Source: dompress.pl
