Art Deco-Esque Pavement Uses Hexagonal Tiles To Withstand Extreme Weather
Architectural firm Snøhetta, which previously worked on French asylum courts catered to refugees, has partnered with Norwegian manufacturer Asak Miljøstein on an outdoor surface that could better withstand extreme weather conditions.
Dubbed the Asak Flyt, the permeable concrete pavement makes use of three hexagonal interlocking tiles to provide landscape architects with “another powerful tool for nature-based water management.”
This could be key for future construction projects, considering there’s been a rise in demand for creative water management solutions in urban environments due to the increased frequency of extreme precipitation.
The system, which involves different sizes of tiles within the Flyt system, creates varying interlocking spaces between each piece when joined together, allowing architects to have more control over the permeability of the ground.
According to the architects, builders could use the tiles as part of green roofs, rain harvest beds, open natural water streams, or similar features that require managing large water loads, such as intense rain or flash floods.
In addition, as the team pointed out, the unique spaces between the tiles give rise to a “visually exciting expression,” adding a special design feature on its own that makes the tiles more than just a tool for better withstanding extreme cloudbursts.
“The system is a new flexible design tool to program outdoor spaces without compromising their permeable needs to ensure a more sustainable approach in the future,” summed up Snøhetta.
