In 2020, sports hall De Roomley in Udenhout has been completely renovated. The outdoor space was also taken into consideration and no concessions have been made with regard to the size and diversity of the plants. Large multistems, shrubs and perennials now adorn the terrain, a wadi stores the rainwater and many surfacing has been eliminated. The sports hall now has a natural look and feel and also takes our changing climate into account.

Large sizes
Definitely an eye catcher is a Acer rubrum with a height of 5-6 meter, which was planted near the entrance of the sports hall. Because the building itself is 10-12 meter high, it was decided to plant a large specimen that immediately would make a statement. Besides the Acer rubrum, some Pterocarya fraxinifolia ‘Heereplein’ multistems with an height of 5-6 meter and great ornamental value have been planted.

Biodiversity
In this project multiple aspects have been taken into consideration, such as: (autumn)colours, flowering periods, and biodiversity. It was decided to plant late flowering species, such as Koelreuteria paniculata (flowers in July and August) and the Heptacodium miconioides (flowers in September). This way, insects have year-round access to food. The chosen species also have proven to be sustainable; they endure extreme drought and wet periods.

In the front exterior alongside the street, foreign species have been planted, whilst around the back of the building (which borders on a park) native species, such as chestnuts, willows, holly, alders and maples have been planted. The 650 pieces of forestry act as ‘buffer’ and creates a natural transition between the sports hall and the stream De Roomley.