Biomimetic Design Portfolio Project

Hydro-centric house
A10.1d // Shannon Reece // Biomimetic Design

//

08/07/15

Biomimetic Design Project Report

Hydro-centric house

Contents

Section 1 - Design Brief

Section 2 - Design Process

Section 3 - Design Presentation

Section 4 - Design Proposal

Design Brief
An Urgent Challenge
Though our world is covered by nearly
70 percent water, only 2.5 percent of
it is fresh. The rest is saline and oceanbased. Not only that, just 1 percent of
our freshwater is easily accessible. In essence, only 0.007 percent of the planets water is available for its 6.8 billion
people.1 It is critical that we rethink the
way we relate to our homes. We would
do well to place a premium on water
and its use so that it becomes the hub
of the home.1

Project Description
This design concept is being explored
in collaboration with Catapult Design.
As the name suggests, the house is
designed with water at its center and
all water-related activities are
clustered around this precious
resource. The purpose of the design is
to explore the natural world for clues
and strategies on how to deliberately
orient the layout of the home around
water. Animals on vast plains and
deserts order their lives instinctively
around the water hole. By ordering
their lives in a similar fashion, people
would become much more resilient
and able to live less dependent on
present infrastructure.

Design Intent
The overall intention of this new
approach is to conserve water by
design. Water is collected via the roof,
directed into a pool or tank in the

center and tasks like cooking, washing,

and bathing all take place around this
central source. Like spokes on a wheel,
the life and activity of the house radiates outward from the water hole.

Whole Systems Thinking

The design must include a whole
systems approach to water including:
rainwater harvesting, efficient use for
daily tasks and food production, greywater recycling, reclamation, and
waste management.

Ultimate Aim
The ultimate aim of the design is to
change the housing industry to
create a precedent that places a
premium on the efficient and
responsible use of water. The
message I want to communicate is that
the increasing scarcity of fresh water
demands that it not be treated as an
afterthought in the design of the home
but should in fact be the central focus.

Target Markets
The target audiences for the design are
the tiny house and eco-tourism niche
markets. Luxury camping
facilities are almost exclusively off the
grid and infrastructure-free. The
hydro-centric scheme complements
this lifestyle perfectly. No doubt there
will also be a spillover effect in the
design of hydro-centric living that will
benefit under-served cultures in
developing countries.

Ecological Context
The design will function in any ecology where fresh water is scarce: desert,

arctic, oceanic, and space.

Discover

Existing Similar Examples

Nature exhibits numerous strategies for

capturing and storing water. For LAP 1
We focus on three strategies that have
been identified within a plant family
known as Bromeliaceae.

Some examples of existing similar designs include:

1.
2.
3.
4.

The International Space Station

Michael Reynolds Earthship Biotecture
Sea Orbiter
ZEB Pilot House by Snhetta

Scope of Work
The full scope of the project, including
a working prototype, should take two
years to complete.

Design Constraints
The design must conserve water and
closely reflect Lifes Principles.

Design Process
LAP 1
Identify
Houses dont typically dont store water as any kind of central feature. Any
attempts toward storing water are with
post-construction add-ons like rain
barrels. Therefore typical houses are
wasteful in water use and overly dependent on public infrastructure.

Interpret
What the house needs to do:
Capture & Store Liquid

The most well known bromeliad is the

pineapple. Bromeliaceae are part of
the larger family, Epiphytes. One
example of an epiphyte is Spanish
moss.
Strategy #1
The leaf arrangement of some
epiphytes collect water due to their
fan-shaped arrangement. Here the
strategy relies on shape.
Strategy #2
The leafs of bromeliads are concaved
in shape and curl upwards to form
something like a half-pipe that catches
water and sends it down the chute to
the center of the plant. This strategy
also makes use of shape.
Strategy #3
Tiny hairs covered with hydrophobic
wax crystals on the leafs also help the
leaves to capture water. The water
wont stick and instead trickles down
the bumpy surface. This strategy takes
advantage of material surface.
Strategy #4
Tightly packed, concave leaves form a
bowl at the center that stores water for
use by many organisms for many other
functions. This strategy is an example of
both shape and system. The strategy
performs other functions as well providing ecosystem services and cooperating within an ecosystem.
These strategies are effective in that

 Asknature.org

they allow the plant to thrive high in

trees or in desert areas where water or
nutrients are often scarce.

from adhering to the surface. Instead

the filaments shuttle water along without touching the actual surface.

There are patterns and similarities to

the strategies. It appears that all of the
Bromeliads strategies are support the
capture and storage of water at the
base in the center of the plant.

2. Tightly packed curving surfaces form

a cylindrical pool that fills with liquid.
(Fig. 1.3).

The most compelling strategy in this lap

was that tightly packed leaves form a
water reservoir that supports a variety
of functions for other organisms.

Abstract
1. Surfaces are bumpy and irregular
(Fig. 1.2). Microscopic filaments protrude from each bump (Fig. 1.1). Filaments increase in number as the curving surface descends toward the liquid
storage tank. Each filament is coated
with wax crystals that keep moisture

3. Convex and concave surfaces capture water and like a half-pipe or chute
shuttle it down into a central holding
tank (Fig. 1.5)
4. Radial, fan-shaped arrangement of
planes and surfaces increase likelihood
of capturing rain and moisture (Fig.
1.6).

Emulate
1. The roof surface will be highly tex-

tured; an irregular micro-relief of

bumps. This texture will cause moisture
to flow down the roof plane instead of
being absorbed by it.
2. Roof planes will be arranged in radial
symmetry with main sections spaced
around the circle. A fan-shaped arrangement will increase potential for
capturing water.
3. Roof planes will be made with
compound curves: both concave
creating a half-pipe chute that
causes all water to flow to the middle of each roof section, and convex,
curving down toward the atrium pool
in the center of the house.

Strategy #1
Oases plays a crucial role for supporting life in harsh desert environments.
A community of organisms perform
various functions around this life-giving
source. Date palms play a vital role in
protecting the water source from encroaching sand that threatens to fill
it in. The palms dont grow far away
and send roots all the way back to the
water source. They grow up around the
water and in very close proximity.

LAP 2
Identify
Houses typically do not feature a layout that optimizes water use and water-related chores, though they will
often have bathrooms and kitchens
within close proximity and even shared
water walls in order to group water
pipes together and minimize material.

Interpret
What the house needs to do:
Optimize Space & Material

Discover
For LAP 2 we focus on three strategies
that have been identified in the
following examples:
1. Desert Oases
2. Bees
3. Human Skin

National Geographic

Animals congregate around the

water hole with their various activities:
drinking, eating, washing, and cleaning. African elephants dont just bathe
or drink. They use their trunks to blow up
the sediment on the bottom of pools in
order to take in important trace minerals that are vital to their diet.

This strategy is effective because they

use the minimum amount of wax to
create storage containers for their
honey.

National Geographic

This strategy of clustering activity

around a life-giving resource allows life
to thrive in an otherwise deadly environment. The lesson to be learned here
is that trees, animals, and indigenous
peoples dont overextend their reach
but stay close to the resource that
makes their lives possible.

Wikipedia.org

Strategy #3
Human skin serves multiple functions
like protection, sensing, healing, and
actuation because of integrated components that all work together.2 This
strategy relies on the optimization of
material - that is, one material that performs a variety of functions.
This strategy is effective because it provides an economy of scale - a proportionate savings in costs (cells, tissues,
organs, and systems within the human
body) gained by an increased level of
production.

National Geographic

This lends credibility to the idea of

clustering all water-related activities
around the water source in the home.
Strategy #2
Bees perform the function of optimal
arrangement in their cell construction
inside the hive. Three-way junctions of
120 provide the most economical use
of material, space, and structure.

The pattern that emerges from these

three strategies is the clustering, angular arrangement, and multiplicity of
functions around a central source.
The most compelling strategy from this
lap was orienting activity around stored
water in a central location.

Abstract
The pool / tank supports several other

vital water-related functions around

the water source other than just holding water.

Emulate
1. The central pool will support a host of
water-related activities: a central garden for food and beauty, and washing
and cleaning in the kitchen, bath, and
laundry area.
2. Clusters will be arranged at 120
angles for maximum efficiency around
the core. By clustering functions around
a center point, a minimum amount
of piping would be required and the
arrangement itself could lend structural
support.

Pelicans flying in groups adjust their

spacing to minimize wind resistance.
Strategy #2
Alpine Sandwort forms dense groups
which moderates a microclimate. In
the case of this design project the
retention of moisture is key. This
cooperative strategy is achieved by
arrangement.
Strategy #3
Tropical rainforests help retain water
by interaction. Virtually no water is lost
because whatever water is not used by
one plant will be used by the next one
further down. The result is lush productivity year round.

Abstract
The following strategies, when written in
engineering terms, look like this:

LAP 3
Identify
The average conventional house
today does not cooperate as an integral part of an eco-system. By nature of
its design it does not use water
effectively but perpetuates waste of a
precious resource.

Constant adjustments in flying formation conserves energy.

Close proximity of moisture producing
units tends to retain moisture better
than units separated by distance.
Moisture-consuming units within a
dense, connected system make use
of gravitys effect on water creating a
resourceful and multi-functional system
based on a single resource.

Interpret

Emulate

What the house needs to do:

Cooperate within an eco-system &
provide eco-system services.

Household members performing water-related should adjust their timing

and habits to minimize water use (i.e.
washing clothes while washing bodies, incorporating more of a Japanese
method of bathing by scrubbing and
rinsing before entering the bath, or
using hand-washing water to flush the

Discover
Strategy #1

toilet or water plants.

Forming garden areas in dense groups
around the water hole with a glass
atrium roof above will help trap
moisture.
The water system will recycle all greywater, using water from showers and
sinks to wash clothes. Wash water will
be used for flushing toilets and watering trees or pre-filtered for use in an
aquaponics system.

LAP 4
Identify
Functions and activities within the
home are often competing for resources like electricity or water.

Interpret
What the house needs to do:
Coordinate Activity

Discover
Strategy #1
An entire complex ecosystem coordinates various activities in mangrove
forests. Australian Myrmecodia plants,
which grow on the mangrove trees,
have bulbous stems that have hollowed out sections inside. These tunnels provide shelter to ant colonies.
In turn, ants deposit their debris inside
which is then absorbed by the plant.
Fungi growing in the ant galleries help
release soluble nutrients from the ant
debris. Finally, the ants also tend butterfly larvae which feed on the tubers and
leaves of the plant.

Strategy #2
Two pairs of wings on flying insects work
together in unison by being linked in
various ways: hooks, folds, or catches.
Strategy #3
Grazing animals on the plains synchronize their foraging cycles to match
plant growth cycles.

Abstract
A central location can house multiple,
coordinated, related activities.
Resource-consuming tasks can be
paired together to use that resource in
unison for more efficiency.
Resource consumption synchronized
with resource abundance creates a
sustainable system.

Emulate
1. A central pool and storage tank can
house multiple, coordinated, water-related activities.
2. Water-related tasks can be paired
up to use water in unison.
3. Residents can synchronize water harvesting and storage with rainy season.
They can also synchronize water-related tasks with resource abundance.

LAP 5
Identify
Houses often do not re-use or distribute
water in an efficient way.

10

Interpret
What the house needs to do:
Distribute resources

Discover
Strategy #1
Vascular and respiratory vessels in
mammals minimize the amount of work
required to operate by being arranged
in a hierarchy.
Strategy #2
Colonies of ants distribute food effectively after famine using food dilution
and strategic food location within
community.
Strategy #3
Bromeliads capture water and support
a small community with collected nutrients.

Abstract
Delivery pipes minimize the amount of
work required to operate by incorporating branched hierarchy.
A slowing of distribution and strategic
location help sustain a system despite
limited resources.
A central resource easily supports a
variety of related functions.

Emulate
1. Incorporate hierarchy in water delivery so that primary water-related activities get water first.
2. During times of severe drought, limit
the amount of water that can be used.

Incorporate an electronic control

system on the central storage tank to
ration water for use in the home. This
could work similar to a low-voltage disconnect in a PV system.

Evaluate
Because many of the functions and
their corresponding strategies, abstractions, and emulations overlap the
design will be evaluated altogether
against Lifes Principles:
Is the design locally attuned and
responsive?
1. The house responds to the presence
of local moisture, whether in the
form of rain or condensation.
2. A sensor and shut-off valve that rations
water during severe drought.
3. A way to sense extremes in temperature and control sunlight accordingly
by changing the opacity of the atrium
dome.

Does it incorporate feedback loops?

1. A float and shut-off valve keeps the

tank from overflowing.
2. A low water level sensor stops the
pump from running dry.
3. Low water level sensor may also shut
off access to some of the water compartments to keep water in reserve
- as a rationing measure. (Similar to a
low-voltage disconnect on a deep-cycle battery)

Does it make use of free energy?

1. The design makes use of water as a

free natural resource and
2. It makes use of gravity to pull the water down the roof surface and into the
pool.
3. At present the design requires a tank to
maintain pressure. It might be possible
to position the tank higher in the air in
order to use gravity to create water
pressure for water-related tasks below.

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Is it resourceful and opportunistic?

1. The house takes into account the

opportunity that rain affords to gather
water.
2. Then the house stores it, and protects
from any loss due to evaporation.

3. The house could capture moisture

generated by plants. Using an atrium dome, condensed water droplets could be captured and directed into central pool.
Does it rely on shape rather than
material?

1. It uses shape and orientation (radial

symmetry around a central hub) to
minimize material.
2. The atrium dome is self-supporting.
3. A tension structure could be considered - one that uses bent bamboo
beams under tension. This could be
applied to the roof as well as walls.

Is it constructed of simple, common

building blocks?

1. Locally harvested stone and earth will

be strongly considered - in the form of
rammed earth or compressed earth
bag.
2. Bamboo struts with engineered joints

create a modular system.

3. Shipping pallets could be considered for upper walls - used in conjunction with a panel substrate like
strawboard.
Is it cellular and nested?

1. The house could be constructed using

a modular system that is mobile,
2. Expandable or scalable in size.
3. Modular materials or house sections
could nest for shipping and transport
after its built.

Does it make use of antenna, signal,

and response?

1. Electronic sensors control valves and

temperature.

2. All water-using appliances could communicate with one another about the
amount of water being used.
3. Within an aquaponics system, sensors
monitor the amount of oxygen and PH
in the water and monitor temperature
and light.

Does it learn and imitate?

1. Perhaps a learning system could program itself according to the patterns of

use by the inhabitants or
2. Perhaps the same system would report
water consumption to residents encouraging adjustments in habits.

3. Same type of system learns and

mimics shade controls for the atrium
dome based on daily and seasonal
patterns and preferences.
Does the design integrate cyclic processes?

1. It integrates the hydrological process

and the rainy season in desert climates.
2. It also integrates the carbon cycle in
managing and recycling waste water
and compost within the aquaponics
and garden areas.
3. On a practical level, washing clothes
takes place at the same time as bathing in order to reduce water consumption.

Is the design resilient?

1. De-centralized
2. Redundant
3. Diverse

Is it decentralized and distributed?

1. It is decentralized - residents do not

have to rely on centralized public
infra-structure.
2. Food is also decentralized in that much
of it is grown on site instead of at the
market.
3. Roof surfaces are distributed.

Is it redundant?

1. The water storage tank could be in

danger of puncture. By dividing the

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tank into many separate compartments water could be protected. Even

if water is lost from one compartment,
the others would remain intact.
2. More than one roof surface to collect
water.
3. More than one way to manage waste
water.

Is it diverse?

1. Diversity is only represented in the different forms of water, whether rain or

condensation.
2. It may also be represented by the vegetation grown in the gardens.
3. Two different forms of waste water gray water and black water.

Does it represent cross-pollination and

mutation?

1. Cross-pollination across technological

applications, borrowing ideas from
research stations and habitats in space
and in Antarctica.
2. Adaptation of the Roman Impluvium
and atrium.
3. May be possible to use material on the
roof that changes on the micro-surface
level over time in order to adapt to the
climate / conditions.

Does the design optimize rather than

maximize?

1. The house optimizes by not collecting

and storing the maximum amount of
water possible, but only what it needs.
2. The rest of the water runs off into surrounding gardens and spaces.
3. Its also a house with a modest footprint, only big enough to provide the
needs of the inhabitants.

Does it perform multiple functions?

1. The roof also performs multiple functions: protection and collection.

2. The water performs many functions:
cleaning and drinking (plants and people).
3. Storage tank holds water, protects from
abiotic forces (i.e. puncture, freezing

temps).

Does it fit form to function?

1. The circular, central pool and radial

symmetry of the room / roof sections
are also examples of form following
function.
2. Roof sections are designed so that water takes the path of least resistance.
3. To create water pressure without the
need for a pump, the tank may need
to be higher than the activities.

Does it recycle all materials?

1. It recycles waste water - both gray water and black water. Grey water is reused to flush toilets, water trees. Water
is also cycled through the aquaponics
system from fish to edible plants and
back again. Black water is directed
through an engineered wetlands before being released out into perimeter,
non-edible landscape.
2. Water from shower could be used to
wash clothes at the same time (as
demonstrated in the WashIt concept
and Whirlpools Project F).
3. Green waste is also composted for
raised bed garden areas.

Does the design leverage interdependence?

1. Residents depend on the water and on

food grown within the house.
2. Food relies on water to grow.
3. Residents must be active in capturing,
storing, and distributing water to food
sources.

Does it foster cooperative relationships?

1. There is a symbiotic relationship between the residents and nature - water,

plants, and fish.
2. There is cooperation amongst all water-related activities and appliances to
make the most use of the water that is
available.
3. The symbiotic experience would be
heightened if roof surfaces were trans-

13

parent so that residents could watch

water cascading down the roof. Also if
the water dropped off the edge of the
roof creating a waterfall within reach of
residents from a sheltered ring around
the pool.

Is the design using benign manufacturing?

1. If even partially constructed from

earth and stone (i.e. gabions, rammed
earth, or earth bag) the house could
be formed and shaped on site with no
waste and at ambient temperature.
2. If plastics are used, HDPE and ETFE
are all that will be considered. Other non-petroleum alternatives will be
strongly considered.
3. No materials that include formaldehyde will be used.

Does it use life-friendly materials?

1. Partially constructed from earth and

stone (i.e. gabions, rammed earth, or
earth bag).
2. Other materials could at least be
life-friendly, containing post-consumer
recycled content and be fully bio-degradable within one year.
3. Pieces could also be designed to be
lightweight, modular, nesting and built
in a factory setting to practically eliminate waste.

Does it incorporate self-assembly?

1. At present there is no self-assembly to

the structure. Perhaps, if the house was
designed to be mobile, self-assembly
might be achieved using a tensegrity
structure (like a dome) that would pop
up into place on its own.
2. Self-inflating insulating layers moderate
temperature.
3. Chemicals that would adjust the opacity of the atrium dome to control the
amount of heat in the garden and to
limit condensation.

Does it use water-based chemistry?

1. This is inherent to earthen clay for interi-

or and exterior use.

2. Lime plaster for water-proofing is also
water-based.
3. Water-based sealants or wax.

Recommendations
1. Consider incorporating sensors and
valves that keep the tank from overflowing or running dry.
2. Consider locating the tank higher in
the air in comparison to water-related
activities in order to use gravity to create water pressure. This would require
tremendous support for the central
tank.
3. Build the foundation and lower portion of the house using locally and
commonly available materials like rock
gabions. For the upper portion consider
a more modular factory-built system.
Also consider large-diameter bamboo
for bracing timbers.
4. Incorporate a learning system that
programs itself according to the patterns of use by the inhabitants or reports water consumption to residents
that would lead to changes in habits.
5. Consider dividing the tank into many
separate compartments so that if water is lost from one compartment, the
others will remain intact.
6. Incorporate spill-off into surrounding gardens and planters outside the
house for excess water once the tanks
are full to capacity.
7. Consider transparent roof surfaces
in certain areas where water could be
more tangible to the residents as it cascades into the pool.

14

Design Presentation
The focus of this design is more on the
water system of the house than the
actual house itself. Which means that it
will focus on three primary functions:
1. Capture / store liquid
2. Optimize space & material
3. Cooperate within an ecosystem
Some general points will also be mentioned. The house will be a relatively
small footprint, roughly 1,200 sq. ft.,
with two bedrooms and one bath. The
design of the house is such that three
roofed sections are laid out in radial symmetry around a central atrium
and pool. The roof surface captures all
forms of moisture (rain, dew, fog, snow)
and directs the water down toward the
center where it collects in a pool. The
overflow drains down into an underground cistern below the pool. There
will be a glass dome above the cen-

tral pool to slow down water loss from

evaporation. A Japanese-style garden
will surround the pool and will be interrupted by areas within the house
dedicated to water-related tasks like
bathing, washing, purifying potable
water, and growing food. All water will
be recycled as many times as possible.
Water Use Stages:
1. Rain water (as well as water from
condensation both outside and inside)
will be collected in a central pool that
drains into a cistern underneath.
2. Water will be filtered, purified, and
pressurized through a system similar
Michael Reynolds Water Organization
Module (WOM).
3. Potable water to be used for drinking, washing in sinks (kitchen and bathroom) and bathing.
4. Grey-water from these activities will
be filtered and used again. Clothes
washing may be combined with bathing in some form (reference the Body-

15

Box by Project F Whirlpool and WashIt

design by four designers at Middle East
Technical University in Turkey). Other filtered grey water will go to aquaponics
and vertical garden system. The last of
the grey-water will go to flush toilets.
5. Black water may be filtered and
purified outside the home in an engineered wetlands environment (the
engineered wetlands will not work well
in winter in humid climates).

Whirlpool Project F - Bodybox

Possible arrangement of space

and grouping of water-related
activities around central water
source.

16

Some inspiration for house and roof shape; and gabion treatments for load-bearing foundation
walls - from Norwegian design firm, Snhetta (http://snohetta.com/).

17

Design Proposal

Until recently our paradigm for water

and its use has been seriously flawed.
The scarcity of potable water is now
coming to the forefront and views are
shifting. In order to be truly sustainable, and by that I intend to include
the word resilient, our common, centralized, public water system needs to
change. The system as it is now places
home-owners in a position of being are
overly dependent on treatment plants
that are not based on redundancy
and as a result are vulnerable to failure.
The practice of piping water over long
distances from a centralized location
is also wasteful and prone to failure.
On a social level, water-conscious
lifestyles are often at odds with society views. Finally water conservation
measures tend to be add-on features
and half-hearted attempts. A system
is needed that focuses on deliberate
water conservation as a primary and
integral part of the design of the home.

Materials Needed

may be considered. (ETFE was used

in the Beijing National Stadium during
the 2008 Olympics). More research is
needed on other plastic alternatives
including some starch-based plastics.
Recently, Wyss Institute has been working with a compound found in shrimp
shells to create a viable and benign
plastic. Finally, nano-structured, slippery
surfaces are also being explored at
Wyss Institute.

Beijing Olympics 2008

Metals
The high recyclability and durability
of stainless steel will make it a primary
choice for metal.
Gabions
Gabions, or steel mesh cages filled with
stone may be used form landscape retention and load-bearing at the base.

Because of the comprehensive nature

of the project I will only give some general opinions as to the materials intended for the project. Finishes will not be
discussed.

Earthen materials
12-inch minimum rammed earth or super-adobe (earth-filled bags) may be
used for exterior walls though consideration must be given to those sections
that may be located underground.

Plastics
First, because we are dealing primarily with water in this design, we are
concerned with material that will hold
water without leaking. When considering plastics, BPA-free HDPE and ETFE

Aerated concrete / ferro-cement

This free-flowing building method may
be considered. It is an industry standard in developing countries around
the world, including water tanks. It
incorporates an armiture of rebar and

18

wire mesh coated with many layers of

cement plaster. Aerated concrete may
also be applied using a pump and
gun. This method may be necessary to
get the compound curves needed in
the roof.
Bamboo
Bamboo is a truly renewable material
and therefore will be preferred over
wood, though engineered laminated beams of scrapwood may still be
needed. However, significant strides
have been made recently in producing laminated bamboo beams.
Glass
Glass will be layered, gas-filled, and
energy efficient.

Prototype Process
The prototype will be built in a desert
area still to be determined. A track hoe
will be needed to excavate the central
pool and cistern. The ground will be
excavated in tiers. Once the particular
building method is determined there
may be a need for a combination of
any of the following:
Concrete wall forms
Pneumatic tamper
Cement pumper truck
Portable cement mixer / hopper
Cement Gunnite gun
Flatbed truck and crane

Design Improvements / Future

Exploration
Valves, sensors, and smart system
The design needs to incorporate sensors and valves that keep the tank from
overflowing or running dry. It also needs
a system that communicates and coordinates with water-related appliances and reports water consumption to
residents. Finally, the house will include
an electronically controlled emergency ration protocol in times of extreme
drought. All of these measures will
protect the water supply and encourage residents to form good water-use
habits.
Tank improvements
A secondary prototype needs to explore the possible placement of the
tank higher in the air compared to
water-related activities in order to use
gravity to create water pressure. The
tank also needs to be sub-divided into
redundant compartments so that if water is lost from one compartment, the
others will remain intact.

Estimated cost
The estimated cost for the prototype is
$30,000 - $40,000. This figure depends
on if the interior is finished out or if only
the water system core is built.

19

Excess water
Once the pool and primary tanks are
full, the house will divert excess water
to outside garden areas and then on
to secondary tanks on the peripheral
of the property for community water
sharing.
Heat and Sunlight
The design will incorporate a smart
shade system for the atrium dome
that automatically adjusts for light and
heat in order to protect from evaporation and excess heat. The design will
also incorporate a passive solar water
heating strategy.
Building materials and methods
The ground level of the house will be
built using rock gabions and rammed
earth. Upper levels will be produced in
a factory using bamboo timbers and
retired shipping pallets.
Biophilic design strategies
Roof sections will be arranged in such
a way that water can be seen and
felt by residents as it cascades into the
pool. Room arrangement will take into
consideration a delicate balance between efficiency and interaction with
the surrounding environment. Some
rooms may share walls to cut down
on material cost. However, the design
must maintain an openness and accessibility in every room to light and nature
outside.

Sources:
1. Freshwater Crisis, National Geographic, (http://environment.nationalgeographic.com/environment/freshwater/freshwater-crisis/)

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