THIRD NATURE and The Climate Tile will teach the world how to walk on water. The Climate Tile is a system of paving tiles that collect and reuse precipitation, so that the water collected can eventually be used as a resource.
The Climate Tile is an invisible climate solution that doesn’t interfere with pedestrians or with the urban landscape. The pilot project on Heimdalsgade in Copenhagen includes a 50-metre-long pavement that protects against increasing precipitation, taking the load off the roads by absorbing up to 30 % of annual precipitation. The individual tiles have small, visible holes which allow the rainwater to seep through and down into a dry well to store the water, before letting it seep further down into the groundwater or out into the surrounding green areas. Thus, The Climate Tile also takes the load off the sewer system, and the system was developed to help adapt our cities to the impacts of climate change.
"We are very happy that the test pavement came to our street. A street space made for activity is rather wonderful. A space where you can sit down and relax or experience a farmer’s market with a herb garden in the pavement, or an outdoor record stall under the trees. It’s really cool – please give us more of the same on Heimdalsgade and in the rest of the city!", Kim Tach, Co-owner of the Heimdalsgade 22 café
The Climate Tile makes the pavement an important co-player in climate solutions by collecting and managing stormwater runoff from roofs and paved areas. The tiles have been tested and monitored over four seasons and have shown good results. People in the local area value the tiles and the urban green spaces that are part of the project.
In addition to collecting rainwater 1 % of the time – i.e. during extreme rainfall events – the remaining 99 % of the time the tiles contribute to quality of life in the city. After completion of the new pavement, the local coffee shop has seen a 40 % increase in turnover.
