Oñati’s city council decided that, given the town’s large population of young families, an underutilized site offered the potential to house an attraction that would appeal to this demographic. Specifically, they thought a water attraction would be impactful, particularly in the Basque Country’s hot summers. The resulting Splashpad®, with three zones, each with its own water play experience, has been a great success. Because water consumption and sustainability were concerns, the Splashpad® features a Maestro water management controller, which uses Smartflow™ technology. With a programmed sequence, the controller offers real-time flow control, so the correct amount of water flows to each feature on the Splashpad®. It also incorporates on-demand activators, so water flows only when the Splashpad® is in use. The landscape architect and Vortex have demonstrated that an unused space can be re-designed to meet the various needs of a community, integrating elements of play, pleasant aesthetics, and sustainability.
In Action
