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An architect's water-collecting design mimics the insect world.
Michael Killeen
The Metropolis Observed
May 2002
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Inspired by a Namibian beetle (left) that has adapted to trap the moisture from
fog (one of the only sources of humidity in the arid country), British
architectural designer Matthew Parks created this fog-catching design
for the proposed hydrological center at the University of Namibia
(right). A nylon-mesh sail (a) collects the fog as it rolls in. As the
mesh becomes saturated, gravity feeds the water into an underground tank
(b), where it joins pumped-in seawater (c) that has been desalinated
using photovoltaic panels (d). A footbridge (e) leads to a classroom pod
(f), under which is office space (g).
Photos: Left, courtesy QinetiQ; right, courtesy KSS Architects, Ltd.
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The climate of Namibia is brutal. One of the driest places on earth, the
country suffers seemingly perpetual droughts, and only one percent of the
land is arable. That harsh environment inspired British architectural designer
Matthew Parkes to tap an overlooked water source.
Parkes--who has worked at KSS Architects Ltd. in London for four and a half
years--visited Africa while earning his master's at Oxford Brookes University,
where his curriculum included architectural answers to environmental concerns.
"I talked to people in Namibia about how the variety of flora
and fauna has adapted to survive in the desert," Parkes says. That
was how he learned about the Namibian desert beetle, which conquers the
severe climate by lifting its shell to trap the moisture from fogs created
when cool waters off the Atlantic meet the warm landmass of the African
coast. The water source is ephemeral but reliable, and Parkes was impressed
by the beetle's practicality.
Offsite:
KSS Architects Ltd., (44) 207-287-4429.
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The result was his fog-catcher design for a proposed hydrological center
for the University of Namibia, which won the architecture award for best
first-time exhibitor at the Royal Academy of Art Summer Exhibition
in 2001. The building, comprised of an arched series of pods, is situated
behind a tall screen of nylon mesh that faces the ocean and collects the
fog as it rolls in. In Chile and Peru, mesh is similarly strung between
trees to catch available moisture. Parkes incorporated that rudimentary
system into his building's infrastructure: as the mesh becomes saturated,
gravity feeds the moisture into gutters that lead to underground cisterns
where the water is kept cool and safe from evaporation. "It is a low-tech
approach to catching water," Parkes says, "but this is an integration
of a whole technology with a built form."
Dr. Joh Henschel, of the Windhoek-based Namibian Desert Research Foundation,
has studied fog-collecting systems and says the need for innovations such
as Parkes's design is acute. "The places where these fog collectors
are planned receive four- to eight-tenths of an inch of rainfall per year,"
he says. "People are currently dependent on receding groundwater. Fog
water is sustainable, it's been there for millions of years, and collecting
it is not taking anything away from the environment."
The Namibian economy depends upon visitors with hard currency, but years
of drought have increased the pressure to balance domestic resources against
the demands of tourism. To address this problem, Parkes and KSS are developing
self-sufficient vacation units that wouldn't deplete the precious existing
supply of water. "They are almost egg-shaped pods sitting vertically
in the desert, accommodating up to six people, and providing their own water
and electricity," he says of the solar-powered prototype.
"Any form from large hotel to individual chalet to industrial complex
is possible," Parkes says of the design's adaptability. KSS is playing
with a new, more versatile version of the mesh as a way to harvest moisture
from the atriums of urban buildings. The high-tech polymer, treated to increase
water collection, could replace the glass normally used.
Ultimately Parkes has even higher hopes for the fog-catcher design--hopes
that hang on KSS's large-scale international projects. "There could
be applications if we were ever to do a stadium project in Peru or Chile,"
he says. "A whole facade oriented to the prevailing winds off the sea
would use fog catching as a means of harvesting additional water supply
to feed irrigation. Stadiums are big beasts. They use a lot of energy and
a lot of water. Any way you can cut down on their demand for processed tap
water is most welcome."
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