Problem, Solution

Having to meet local stormwater regulations, this housing project needed to manage stormwater from a 190-square-meter rooftop — but space was extremely limited. The development, like many new developments in the Victoria area, was designed as a multi-family in-fill project with a denser footprint, leaving no room for traditional stormwater tools like large underground cisterns or above-ground bioretention. This increased density becomes a challenge as there is more impervious area but the stormwater requirements to hold water on site and/or infiltrate do not change. The solution had to fit within a shallow grade, integrate beneath a hardscape patio, and handle both detention and infiltration — all without disrupting the design of the site.

Marino Cell provided a compact, modular chamber system that checked every box. Installed in a two-deep configuration, the 76-unit system captures and detains all rooftop runoff beneath the paved patio space and adjacent lawn. Its shallow profile met grade constraints, while its freestanding design allowed the layout to flex around site elements without structural limitations. With more than 1,000 gallons of storage capacity (3.87 cubic meters) and infiltration (2mm/hour) into the native soils below, the system helps reduce peak flow and, with ground infiltration, total stormwater volume entering the storm system.