Project Summary

HydroGrid is a collaboration between UCL CASA, Nuna Studio, and Avenue Primary School to transform how city buildings handle heavy rain. While traditional green walls are often passive, our “HydroGrid” uses a smart lattice structure equipped with Edge AI - a mini-brain on the wall—to actively manage water.

The system features a network of modular metal micro-reservoirs that capture rainwater before it hits the ground. Using smart sensors and automated valves, the wall decides when to store water for the plants and when to slowly release it to prevent local street flooding. By turning a school wall into a living, thinking piece of blue-green infrastructure, we are reducing flood risk, boosting biodiversity, and creating a scalable model for smart urban greening.

Scope and Activities

The project moves from lab-based prototyping to a “living lab” installation in Newham. The project has 4 key tasks:

• Fabrication: We will design and fabricate bespoke metal mini-reservoirs integrated with solar-powered microcontrollers, mini-pumps, and water-level sensors.

• Protocol Development: We will develop the Edge AI control protocols to manage water sharing logic. This will involved calculating tank capacity and moving water to create headroom ahead of forecasted storms.

• Deployment: The system will be installed at Avenue Primary School in Newham.

• Monitoring: Longitudinal running of the system to track hydraulic efficiency and solar power reliability.

Site location: screenshot showing school on Google Maps