Check Dam Seat Wall
Detailing in Landscape Design
Instructors: Andrew Schlatter, Lindsay Faulk
PennDesign Spring 2015
This class gave us the opportunity to further develop a detail from our studio. More about the studio project can be found here: Hinging Space
Water is crucial in Crownpoint, New Mexico. In the arid climate, there is never enough. When the rains finally do come, often there is too much and flash
floods arise. This project focused on methods to control and capture water when available in order to create public spaces for its residents. A series of
check dams, constructed of dry stacked sandstone are interspersed between houses to slow the flow of water down the hill to prevent flash flooding. In
each of the check dams, differing spatial conditions give rise to differing characters of each check dam park/garden. The check dam reading garden is the
smallest, quietest type of garden in the system. A gabion seat wall inset from the dry-stacked retaining wall creates a planting bed buffer for floodwaters.
River rocks and coarse aggregate beneath the gabion seat allows water to infiltrate into the ground and below the planting bed, eventually seeping out
the dry stacked wall. In the event of heavy flooding, the area will pool until it reaches its overflow limit, and thus flows through a slot between the gabion
seat, over the planting bed, and over the dry-stacked wall through a cannale.