Biomimicry – The Desert Beetle
-Water Collection
-Water Extraction from Vapor/Fog
-Control of Water Flow off Building Surface
-Building Surface Texture – lowers reflectivity and increase light penetration – implications for solar collection

Ecodistrict Scale
-Utility Sharing – District Heating and Cooling
-Use district water collection and control to increase efficiency and use for passive heating and cooling
-Passive Solar Water Heating at Residential Scale
-Earth Tube “Root” System – Connection larger commercial buildings to move excess heat to residential buildings
-Water Control Emphasis at Water Front

Although the Desert Beetles strategy for water extraction from vapor has stronger implication in an arid environment, I think that it has potential in a climate like the northwest as well. Although we are not short on water, I think we can take this means of water collection and apply it to building surfaces to increase water collection efficiency. The pattern of hydrophilic and hydrophobic regions on the beetles back control how the water particles collect and where the water flows once it has accumulated enough to travel the necessary distance. I think this can be applied in the northwest to take advantage of the abundance of water we have and turn it into more of a resource than an excess. This can be applied to vertical building surface as well to control how water condenses on the building in a way that we can utilize as part of a larger system.

Rather than just collect water into a huge cistern for building/community use, where it would likely overflow during the peak rainy season anyway, I propose using that water for it’s passive heating and cooling potential. Creating a large underground system of earth tubes would allow the additional rainwater collected to be use to conduct heat from where there is excess to where there is a need. The community of buildings would be dependent upon and supportive of each other. The control and utilization of excess water is also going to be important and beneficial for water front locations, where the water quality becomes an issue. Controlling water flow and collection can become an integrated part of the water filtration and gradual integration back into the natural environment/contexts.