Building Oases

8/19/2019 Building Oases

1/17

Can Architecture help in the fght against desertifcation?

Designing oases

In this essay I have investigated the potential contribution architecture can have to the important struggle againstdesertifcation. This was inspired by the desert greenhouse invention and biomimicry methods based on the stenocara beetle

o the Namib Desert.

Desertifcation is a problem that has always eisted! nonetheless humans have been a ma"or actor in the spread o

ehausted land vulnerable to desertifcation. This is caused by logging! overgra#ing! ploughing! agricultural chemicals that

disrupt the biological diversity and structure in soils wea$ening the soils ability to retain water! nutrients and ultimatelysupporting lie.

%& million hectares is lost every year to desertifcation ' (Good planet foundation.)

In &(((! drylands

! which occupy )%* o +arth,s land area! were home to a third o the human population! or & billion people.

(Millenium ecosystem assessment)

The ecosystems lost to desertifcation are etremely important! as they provide the ecosystem service o recharging the

water table! fltering water and creating microclimates beneft those downstream who rely on groundwater. +cosystem

service are unbe$nownst to most o us ' -iltration! transport! climate regulation. +cosystem services play a $ey role in waterresources /0 trillion to 1lobal 1D2 3% trillion value provided by earth to the global economy 4ANA! Nature in 5ater 6ecurity

7 5ater 6ecurity animation8

Desertifcation is not irreversible however prevention is better than cure. +9ective eamples o the return o desert land to

orest have been proven in northern china $nown as :The green wall o China., Arica has started planting a green wall rom

6enegal to ;ebuti! 5est to +ast! 0(( miles has been planted so ar. This will be a political challenge. %

http://www.greenfacts.org/glossary/def/drylands.htmhttp://www.greenfacts.org/glossary/def/drylands.htm


2/17

Building performance and energy use impact?


3/17

These fgures are outrageous in terms o urban or building perormance. This is the e=uivalent o using absolutely no

insulation in a building! whilst maintaining a comortable indoor temperature in the middle o winter. I there was a orm o

energy policing this would be a ma"or crime.

Abu Dhabi eperiences thic$ og and mist at various points through the year. This has been provable to be harvestable in

many places. @ost months o the year there is at least & days o og per month up to an average o 3 days alongside

thunderstorms and small amounts o rain. 4httpEEwww.avmet.aeEclimate.asp

8 5ater collected at these times would at least

decrease the burden on de7salination.

0

http://www.avmet.ae/climate.aspxhttp://www.avmet.ae/climate.aspx


4/17

"as t#e UAE $o%en up?asdar city& a rene$a'le energy tec#nology 'onan(a

Nevertheless the A+ seems to have wo$en up to the issues o sustainability! or maybe they are "ust pretending. @asdar city!

is a test bed city in many ways but ultimately is not doing anything very innovative. They are using eisting technologies inan etravagant way as well as using historical methods li$e narrow alleyways between buildings to provide shade.


5/17

The master plan was to desalinate groundwater with solar energy! but or now water is piped in rom one o Abu Dhabis gas7

fred! high7energy! desalination plants. 4;ohn Jidal! The guardian! &(%%8

Architecture is responsible or urban development more than it is or rural agricultural developments or activities.


6/17

It is not e9ective to simply adapt to desertifcation as it is a relentless orce that simply isg the dust is not going to settle.

Due to the act we have actively caused damage in the past! it is necessary to actively restore these areas to a sel sustainingproductive ecosystem benefcial to the ora and auna that provide valuable ecosystem services to humans! still a human

centred perspective. Nonetheless! when deserts are restored again a new apropos attitude must accompany this or

continued stability o these sensitive regions.

Deserts will spread without proper management and regeneration.

/lanting an oasis& /ermaculture solutions

egeneration is possible and has been proven to be in several locations. 6eemingly simple methods have been used with

little to #ero man made technology. 2ermaculture principles including swales! berms and gabions and other initial man made

interventions can help to regenerate even salty desert land.

2ioneer tree species are planted to f nitrogen! provide shade! increase soil stability. Krganic matter starts to collect and soilbegins to orm. 5ater that alls in these areas soa$s slowly into the ground and can be utilised by the plants and also

recharge groundwater.

Initially management is needed but these manmade oases can eventually sel manage! creating its own soil and thus being

sel ertile and spreadable. Nonetheless! irresponsible human activities could =uic$ly turn the area bac$ to desert! such as

unmanaged gra#ing! cutting trees down or frewood and building.

:The miracle water village,! a community initiative that transormed a rural Indian village used swales and other simple land

alterations to great success. 4:The miracle water village!, Hlac$ tic$et flms! Mou tube8

5hen ood production can be achieved people can live there and thus build homes and inrastructure. This is where the

architecture comes in. ltimately! once a water supply is created or obtained lie can start.

Restorati)e de)elopment

In terms o architecture! the design have to be a continuously productive i.e usage lower than output positive urban sprawl!

buildings need to contribute to water production and or harvesting and subse=uently ood production.

2age > /


7/17

rban sprawl could be positive and desirable. Towns would be ounded on the basis o continuous productive urban

landscapes 4C2s! Andre Jil"oen! Oatrin Hohn8 and this could be the principle o development instead o a reaction to

negative urban problems.

The perimeter o towns can be bu9ered by native suitable tree and plant species! this is something that could be structured

with design utilising permaculture principles. This would actually increase humidity levels and shade locally and provide a

cooling e9ect allowing or urther spread verdure.

Crucially it is the ongoing habitation and e9ective running o the settlement or building that will ultimately decide the impact

it has.

Architecture,s power is at the mercy o its creators and guardians.

-an arc#itecture contri'ute to t#is process?

Architecture could play a part in helping to perpetuate these rehabilitating areas and also get them started. I the site

becomes established and productive! which is possible in approimately ) years according to 1eo9 awton o the

permaculture institute! people could settle there.

Heore! during and ater this time buildings could contribute to the process. -or instance rather than "ust minimising a

building,s consumption o water! the building would perorm so that it would have either #ero e9ective water use! such that it

covers its own consumption by its own harvesting o water. eservoir pools could be used to cool the buildings passively!

combined with wind catchers that can provide rest7bite rom the hot desert air.

In the ecologically un7productive landscape o deserts the buildings must be productive due to the scarcity o resources.

2roviding shade! water! organic matter and land stability.


8/17

@ost ma"or cities in dry regions are ad"acent to the sea! historically or trade and fshing. There is oten little rainall but this is

a better place to be than inland! as water can be de7salinated using low energy methods. elative humidity is much higher

near the sea and decreases inland thereore using new low impact technologies such as og nets and their variants to collect

water vapour.

Thereore architectural design needs to ta$e these sorts o actors into account when orming a design.

E,isting design solutions

Design and tec#nological solutions currently a)aila'le to tac%le pro'lems faced in arid& desert regions0

There are already methods being utilised around the world to assist people in arid desert regions to collect water. Create

enough water to drin$ and use to irrigate crops. These solutions come rom scientists in the developed world! where most are

ree rom subsistence and hence have time available to thin$ about solutions.

Biomimicry and tec#nical solutions

Water harvesting architecture

sing modern techni=ues based on biomimicry! humidity in the air can be captured.

Australian coastal solution

In Australia scientists are developing new materials based on the 6tenocara beetle o the Namib desert! which collects water

on its bac$. The beetle,s shell is covered in a combination o hydrophobic and hydrophilic suraces enabling it collect sea mist

rom the air and provide itsel with a drin$. The materials mimic$ing the teture o the beetles shell could be used on

buildings to collect airborne humidity. 1Renee c#o& 0.F.&(%%! 6tate o the 2lanet! The earth Institute! Columbia niversity8

2age > B


9/17

Credits ;ames Anderson ;ochen Hongaerts

Spider sil% collecting de$

6cientists in China are researching how spider sil$ collects so much dew! they discovered that the fber orms hydrophilic

spindle $nots while the "oints in between the $nots remain smooth! so condensing water droplets slide along the smoothsuraces and coalesce into bigger drops at the $nots.

4Renee Cho | 3.7.2011 The Earth institute, Columbia University)

-ompetition design for $ater from air collectors

5ater harvesters provide shade and harvest water rom the air. Designed by 1eotectura practice. +ntry to waterAid

competition &((F.

2eotectura $it# Eyal al%a creati)e structures

2age > L

http://blogs.ei.columbia.edu/author/renee-cho/http://blogs.ei.columbia.edu/author/renee-cho/


10/17

3og nets

In coastal areas an$ed by mountain chains og nets can be utilised particularly e9ectively. There are already mist catching methods used across the world which have succesully supplied %((,s o people with a

consistent supply o drin$ing water! rom %3!(((l per day to %((!((( litres per day! or %( years! in Chungungo Chile!

resulting in a reversal o migration away rom the fshing village.

Kne large og collector with a )(m& collecting surace can produce rom &((litres to %((( litres per day or none at all so

storage is necessary.

-og nets at wor$ in Chile @u$er"i 4n.y8 6chemenaur P Cereceda 4%LL)8

6adly the Chungungo og net pro"ect was neglected by local governments in an attempt to gain unding or a de7salination

plant or pipeline rom other region at a potential cost o % million. The re=uest has been re"ected so they returned to tan$er

water deliveries.

2age > %(


11/17

3og collection arc#itectural solution

A beautiul design or a og collection tower was designed by Chilean architect Alberto -ernande# and 6usana Krtega or the

:evolo s$yscraper competition, in &((B. I the Chungungo had a water collection tower li$e this they may have $ept it as a

tourist attraction and produced their own water.

The population may have elt they didn,t want a rudimentary system providing them water even i it did unction well.

2resentation is oten the $ey to gain support or an idea. This could be scaled down to ma$e it cheaper! but the design is very

attractive.

2age > %%


12/17

Salt$ater 2reen#ouse

The 6altwater greenhouse! invented by Charlie 2aton de7salinates saltwater using only the power rom the sun. It was frst

implemented in %LL& in Tenerie and has been used in various arid regions to positive e9ect. The below photos were ta$en o

a pro"ect in Kman & years apart and show the greenhouse,s potential.

I this was integrated into communities there would be local ood production as well as improved green spaces and more

comortable living environments! as the greenhouses create a localised cooling e9ect li$e orests.

2age > %&


13/17

6altwater greenhouse in Kman

6ahara orest pro"ect illustration

Salt$ater green#ouse tec#nical details

The saltwater is run over a cardboard honeycomb allowing air to blow through! in turn cooling the air! providing an optimumenvironment or plant growth and resulting in clean distilled water or drin$ing or irrigation. The result is resh ood and

regenerated land around the greenhouse.

2age > %0


14/17

This could be ta$en a step urther and include both saltwater fsh species and reshwater fsh to add to the produce output

and ma$e more use o the seawater particularly.

.

Sea$atergreen#ouse0com

2reen /at#$ays

2age > %)


15/17

I a sustainable model is produced one :greenhouse, could be used li$e a green planting machine that leaves a green trail in

its wa$e! it can move and be re7used. eaving a sel sustaining agroecology system behind that protects its own soil and

spreads itsel.

The greenhouses nearest the sea could pass water bac$ to the other greenhouses inland this could then be met urther inland

by water collected by og nets. 5ith enough water! the structures could spread in all directions. They could also be designed

to be movable so the whole system can be moved to regenerate neighbouring areas. These could support settlements based

around the ood production. The ood could then be sold to established towns and cities nearby creating new economies rom

once barren land.

The sahara orest pro"ect are planning a similar idea. %3


16/17

-onclusion

Desertifcation is a dangerous problem! on par with climate change. It is a problem that has been proven to be reversible andone that people can adapt to! as proven by several eamples such as China,s green wall! the miracle water village in India

and the saltwater greenhouse design solution.

These are the basis or sustainable development! they are all in progress and still developing.

There will be a lot o temptation or local people to cut down the wood made available! thereore alternative uels are needed.

Hiogas could be produced rom ood and human waste! animal dung can be burnt but education will be needed in order.

It could be argued that settlement should ollow the old patterns o common sense. 6ettling near a water source! ertile land

and raw building materials! which has lead to the development o cities in these areas that have turned into the places theyare now! oten attracting rural people! which move to the outs$irts o cities oten overburdening and putting pressure on the

local resources. There is a limit to these resources that has in many cases been surpassed.


17/17

Architecture can play a role in tac$ling desertifcation but actually isn,t really necessary to directly regenerate arid regions.

5hen it is implemented it can actually help the process

Any architecture in arid regions ideally should be able to at least harvest its own water to relieve pressure on ground water

and minimise the need or costly energy hungry processes li$e de7salination.

An assumption was made that architecture could have more o a direct impact but it is more about people,s attitudes and

activities. This essay doesn,t delve deep into the social! educational and governmental issues that ultimately tie in with

architecture and the fght against desertifcation and orm the main reasons or the problem.

Architects! designers or engineers aren,t always able to provide the solution through the design o buildings or technological

solutions and need to pay respect to the power o ecological understanding and design and its ability to regenerate land!

relying on more earthy people who understand and care or nature. They ma$e their own credentials that will ultimatelybecome accepted in the uture as oGcial titles and educational certifcates internationally.

Architecture students need to be made acutely aware o the implications o their design strategies or any region. This need is

more acute in more vulnerable regions o the world! where resources are scarce. 5ater conservation and generation needs to

be greatly advocated by the architectural community in arid regions rather than "ust ollowing design ashions across the

globe and using the same technologies anywhere. +cological understanding needs to be made paramount so that designers

can ma$e inormed decisions and can thereore be held accountable.

Architecture can be productive and contribute to the regeneration o degraded lands across the world! however this will only

happen when people have the desire to create buildings! streets and cities that produce more than they consume.

2age > %F

Building Oases

Documents

Transcript of Building Oases