Lavetten: Where the rainwater ends

The central feature of Lavetten’s courtyard is the rainwater catchment.

The thriving and lush raingarden is planted primarily with moisture loving perennials such as the Sea-buckthorn, which gets juicu and ornage berries that light up in the silver-colored foliage, along with meadow sage, and great burnet.

Raised walkways ensure that the entire courtyard remains accessible to all, even when the raingarden is fulfilling its function. These periods of cloudburst become almost desireable, as the courtyard takes on a completely new character. The walkways are made of a thin metal grate that floats above the plantings in the raingarden, allowing light to reach below. The water is collected from the rooftops and from the entire couryard and is led though open runnels. This voyage ends in the reflective rainwater reservoir that invites birds and frogs to visit.