08A Design Description
I) Research questions
01: How can water be managed in a location where rain is both infrequent and intense?
02: How can water be used as a tool for connection at the human scale and with animals?
II) Abstract, 300 word max, 2 paragraphs
Oftentimes, water infrastructure and related elements are hidden in the urban landscape. By subverting this practice and exposing natural water systems, we gain the opportunity to interact with water and related phenomena. Sound is a prominent phenomena associated with water, and as it flows over varied surfaces it engages the user. The mist and crash from fountains also provoke a certain intensity. Sight is another sense that is stimulated, especially with water. Water is constantly changing, and the differences in flow from rain or drought can drastically change how people interact with water. People touch water, and connect with it through responsive fountains. Smell is also stimulated through the act of petrichor, or the process in which rain produces a pleasant scent after a dry period. Water is an accessible metric, as users interact with it differently depending on the time of day, the seasonality, and the year.
Several factors affect how water is drained in a city of this scale. It is imperative to measure rainfall and extract general citywide data on historical rainfall information. Rain can be measured on site through an Arduino outfitted with a Liquid Water Level Sensor. A planting plan would also have to be generated that specifically deals with both the infiltration of water through swales as well as the intensity ranges of water in Barcelona. PIR Motion sensors are also utilized to responsively activate a recycling water feature based on the amount of people. Slope analysis tools in Grasshopper can also be utilized to efficiently direct water and use it strategically in infiltration. In general, ground porosity, slope, and softscape can be compiled into an overall composite score to gain a better sense of conditions at a small scale.
III) Outline
1)
Oftentimes, water infrastructure and related elements are hidden in the urban landscape. By subverting this practice and exposing natural water systems, we gain the opportunity to interact with water and related phenomena. Sound is a prominent phenomena associated with water, and as it flows over varied surfaces it engages the user. The mist and crash from fountains also provoke a certain intensity. Sight is another sense that is stimulated, especially with water. Water is constantly changing, and the differences in flow from rain or drought can drastically change how people interact with water. People touch water, and connect with it through responsive fountains. Smell is also stimulated through the act of petrichor, or the process in which rain produces a pleasant scent after a dry period. Water is an accessible metric, as users interact with it differently depending on the time of day, the seasonality, and the year.
Several factors affect how water is drained in a city of this scale. It is imperative to measure rainfall and extract general citywide data on historical rainfall information. Rain can be measured on site through an Arduino outfitted with a Liquid Water Level Sensor. A planting plan would also have to be generated that specifically deals with both the infiltration of water through swales as well as the intensity ranges of water in Barcelona. PIR Motion sensors are also utilized to responsively activate a recycling water feature based on the amount of people. Slope analysis tools in Grasshopper can also be utilized to efficiently direct water and use it strategically in infiltration. In general, ground porosity, slope, and softscape can be compiled into an overall composite score to gain a better sense of conditions at a small scale.
2) Background theory
Cite 3 writings / media from the reading list about the topic and how they relate. (3 ink diagrams of Points and Lines – See Field Conditions by Stan Allen
- “Within the phenomena of experience in a built construction, the organizing idea is a hidden thread connecting disparate parts with exact intention” (Steven Holl, Anchoring). This idea is paramount in the design with water. It would be foolish to design with water in a vacuum, and considering humans and animals in the interaction invites positive feedback loops.
- “Crowds present a different dynamic… The crowd needs a direction” (Stan Allen, Field Conditions). If we are thinking about the street and superimposing a grid on top, drainage and water naturally begins to order the space. Taking advantage of this and emphasizing this natural process provides both direction as well as possible connections to other programmatic elements.
- “In order to grow and develop, life forms must both persist and adapt, their organizational structures sufficiently resilient to withstand challenges while also supple enough to morph and reorganize” (James Corner, Not unlike life itself). The idea of designing open systems that change and adapt with seasonality would provide interesting effects. This idea of a hierarchy within systems also takes into account climate change and the increase in weather variability.
3) Contextualization
University of Texas Water Management
Responsive Technology example
Ripoll Drain Detail
4) Methods.
Arduino (will be expanded later)
5) Analysis
Qualitative Observations
Sensor data on soil moisture
Health of plants
6) Conclusions
I expect that this intervention will both manage water in a more sustainable way than what previously exists while also creating a central space to facilitate community cohesion. Specifically, I predict that the plants will adapt to the changes in water on site throughout the year, and the water feature also adapts based on temporality and seasonality.