Greener landscape for a residential property in Milwaukee, Wisconsin US

Omni Ecosystems, a green infrastructure company, was approached by a client who wanted to beautify their residential property at Milwaukee in Wisconsin, by creating a more natural appearance.

“With a desire to be totally immersed in nature, our client requested their landscape to be as natural as possible,” said Nicole Davis, the Project Owner.

In striving to achieve a perfect balance with the modernisation of the property’s facilities, they opted to plant iconic trees. Not only would these trees add touches of organic green to the area, they would also deliver a range of health benefits to the local residents too.

Citygreen’s Stratavault™ system was selected as the ideal choice for this landscaping project to ensure the trees would successfully thrive, despite the limited room available for growth onsite.

Project goals

As the residence was an open 2.5-acre site over a ravine and a bluff, the priority for this landscape project was in establishing a connection to nature.

The client wanted the home to be naturally beautiful, so Omni Ecosystems committed to transforming all residential grey spaces into a harmonious, greener environment.

“Our primary goal was to breathe life back into the site in a way that was reminiscent of its past. So, we aimed to incorporate Southern Wisconsin hardwood forest trees (maple, oak and birch) and prairie ecology (tall grasses and perennials) to the property,” added Nicole.

Project challenges

Taking into account the added need for vehicular driveway surfacing, Omni Ecosystems was up against the challenge of finding a way to position a stretch of birch trees in a central courtyard surrounded by the residence.

They also had to consider getting the landscape profile right, which involved integrating the spaces required for ducts of utilities without losing the soil volume needed for healthy trees.

To address these concerns, they decided to use Citygreen’s Stratavault™ system. With its innovative design, higher strength and lower installation cost, it was the ideal solution.

Nicole said, “We chose Citygreen’s Stratavault™ because it had a great potential to manage all of our challenges. It was also more cost-effective than other competitors.”

Project methodology

The open matrix design of Citygreen’s Stratavault™ system was effective in nurturing the architecture of the soil. As a result, birch tree roots were able to naturally grow and thrive without causing damage to the surrounding paved surfaces of the residence.

“We needed maximum volume for uncompacted soil – fortunately, Citygreen was able to solve that problem. Its structural component occupied only 10% of the soil volume, so 90% of the total volume was still available for future tree root growth,” Nicole explained.

Characterised by its interconnected modules, Stratavault™ also facilitated the applied load weight from above ground to be shared and the lateral strength to be maximised.

“Radiant heat and black locust paver units were installed on top of the Stratavault™ system. These can be quite heavy. Nevertheless, the solution didn’t fail to meet our project’s structural integrity requirements.”

The increased apertures of Stratavault™ also ensured that larger conduits, service pipes and aeration systems were supported, paving the way for utility systems (such as drainage, water and electric) to be properly installed and function correctly.

Aside from addressing the project’s initial challenges, Stratavault™ also provided the trees with the perfect amount of irrigation. The system allowed rainwater to be properly absorbed and redirected for the healthy growth of the trees, following stormwater management best-practises.

“The combined system provided stormwater management on-site, which then protected the fragile ravine ecosystem below.”

Project outcome

Thanks to Citygreen’s Stratavault™, the Milwaukee residential property was beautifully decorated with healthy Whitespire birch and Marmo maple trees. Its owners now fully enjoy the natural aesthetic and atmosphere created by the trees, while experiencing all the different benefits they offer.

“The project involved planting over a year ago. To date, the trees are still thriving, and erosion has also diminished in the ravine.”

By adding colour to grey space, the growing trees have added to the vibrancy of the home’s surroundings. They also made the home more liveable and sustainable for its residents.

Nicole echoed, “Working with this technology, we were able to deliver uninterrupted mass volumes of good soil and prosperous landscape. This helped us achieve our ongoing goal of providing the best and healthiest ecosystems to our clients.”

At Citygreen, our wide range of cutting-edge urban landscape products like the Stratavault™ system can transform your places to be greener, healthier and more sustainable too.

If you aim to transform your grey spaces just like what Omni Ecosystems did with this Milwaukee residential property, speak to us today.

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