“A drop of water” – Atrapaniebla
ATTENTION: THIS PROJECT IS THE RESULT OF A COLLABORATIVE PROCESS BETWEEN CTRL+ZY AND DIFFERENT AGENTS. FOR A CORRECT UNDERSTANDING, I INVITE YOU TO LEARN ABOUT THE OTHER SUBJECTS DIRECTLY INVOLVED: BRAZIL VILLAGE (PIRACICABA).
ITS REALIZATION HAS BEEN POSSIBLE THANKS TO THE SUPPORT OF: SOLPACK (PIRACICABA), “IN-FACT” RESEARCH GROUP (SEVILLE), ENTREPRENEURSHIP LABORATORY “LABORE” (CAMPINAS), UNIP LIMEIRA (LIMEIRA), NURSERY SPACE (PIRACICABA), TOTAL ENVIRONMENT INSTITUTE (PIRACICABA), TEIA (PIRACICABA)
Background
A “fog catcher” is defined as any system used to capture the microscopic water droplets contained in fog and store them in liquid form.
Through a condensation process, the atmospheric water vapor contained in the air is naturally deposited on cold surfaces, forming drops of liquid water.
Many plants and animals, mainly in desert environments, use this principle in order to capture the water they need to survive. By observing the systems these organisms use, scientists began to try to imitate them with the aim of finding an artificial way to capture fog and transform it into water.
The organised collection of fog through natural or assisted processes is an ancient practice, and archaeologists have found evidence of this in different parts of the world. Walls are built around plants and vines to collect condensation moisture. In the Atacama Desert, in South America and in Egypt, piles of stones were made to generate condensation dripping on the inside of the walls from which it was collected and stored.
In modern times, the “camachaca”, a type of fog that is generated in the deserts of northern Chile, attracted the attention of some researchers who, observing the structures that nature had developed to capture humidity from the air and survive in this environment, began experimenting with the purpose of building an effective structure to obtain water from the fog.
The first experiments were carried out in 1957 by Carlos Espinosa Arancibia, a physicist at the University of Chile, with the first polyhedral fog catcher. A few years later, after improvements and modifications, he created the most famous fog catcher, the “Chilean type”, which is one-dimensional. This began to be widely used in Chile.
The first experiments were carried out in 1957 by Carlos Espinosa Arancibia, a physicist at the University of Chile, with the first polyhedral fog catcher. A few years later, after improvements and modifications, he created the most famous fog catcher, the “Chilean type”, which is one-dimensional. This began to be widely used in Chile.
In modern times, the “camachaca”, a type of fog that is generated in the deserts of northern Chile, attracted the attention of some researchers who, observing the structures that nature had developed to capture humidity from the air and survive in this environment, began experimenting with the purpose of building an effective structure to obtain water from the fog.
Sources: wikipedia.org, blog.sciencenet.cn, neilhallphotography.com, integratedatrapanieblas2011.blogspot.com, energizamx.wordpress.com, warkawater.org/media
In recent years, there has been a renewed interest in renewable energy and water harvesting, and with it the interest of many scientists, architects and industrial designers in fog catchers.
Current research focuses on finding materials with better performance, more practical and faster assembly methods, and their possible applications in urban environments.
Note: When looking for inspiration, we did not consider the extensive catalogue of solutions and proposals that have never been built as references; we wanted to base ourselves on real experiences, as real and concrete as the problem to be solved.
Our initiative is undoubtedly inspired by the most recent ones, such as the Warka Water project by “Architecture and Vision”. We have contacted its developers on several occasions to propose our low-tech approach and we hope to have answers soon.
Vocation
At the end of 2014, we began to think about these experiences and to plan the construction of our own. The experience of El Árbol was partially going in this direction, but it could not fully satisfy our concerns.
Our studies and our experimentation did not aim at designing the best possible tower, the most efficient, the perfect, fair and 100% ecological tower, but knowing that water supply is essential for the development of communities and individuals, we sought a way to produce low-tech towers based on materials that can be found locally, making compromises and, as always, even using “waste”.
We focus on the application of the ideas developed so far, contributing as always in ctrl+z participatory architecture simplification, certain that this will also substantially feed the research itself.
We wanted to design a system that could be easily and immediately adopted, assimilated and used, and applied in different real situations where limited access to water is often accompanied by complex technological access situations. A proposal that was easy to design and assemble, tailored to the possibilities and the people who are willing to try out these technologies. That is why in this experience we did not mind giving up some aesthetics and “environmental coherence” (such as the use of plastic ties) to promote the reproducibility of the proposed model.
We wanted to design a system that could be easily and immediately adopted, assimilated and used, and applied in different real situations where limited access to water is often accompanied by complex technological access situations. A proposal that was easy to design and assemble, tailored to the possibilities and the people who are willing to try out these technologies. That is why in this experience we did not mind giving up some aesthetics and “environmental coherence” (such as the use of plastic ties) to promote the reproducibility of the proposed model.
Design
We decided to design the tower in such a way that the geometry was both very simple and solid. The proposed solution based on just two parts greatly simplifies the production work, increases the adaptability to different materials and the appropriability of the design itself.
ctrl+z architects fog catcher
The bars of the circumferences were calculated simply by dividing them into equal parts, while the diagonals were calculated with a simple formula of cylindrical geometry.
We based the fabric design on a hexagonal pattern with the immediate advantage of being able to graphically obtain all the pattern measurements.
A design carried out in real time and based on the materials available at each location, which allows the participation of the entire community or all those involved in the construction of the tower without the need for complicated calculations.
This type of design can be implemented using flexible materials such as bamboo, blinds, metal plates, etc., since the material has to be able to adapt to the curve of the geometry. The ideal would be to find formulas so that individuals or communities can independently install similar systems in their homes in the future.
Mounting
Finally, in September 2015, the opportunity we had been waiting for to put the research into practice arrived.
André, with whom we had already collaborated in the past, had managed the development of an activity during Locomotiva, a music festival focused on environmental and artistic themes.
Mounting
Finally, in September 2015, the opportunity we had been waiting for to put the research into practice arrived.
André, with whom we had already collaborated in the past, had managed the development of an activity during Locomotiva, a music festival focused on environmental and artistic themes.
The festival required that the installation take place during the festival, so we had to prepare all the logistical aspects in advance since it lasted only two days.
In our vision, the construction of a full-scale prototype was understood as an essential step to lay the first stone of a research process, in collaboration with both Spanish and Brazilian universities, on the subject to arrive at the formulation of a definitive model.
Once we arrived in Brazil, we reviewed and completed the design and began to carry out all the procurement and preparation procedures.
The bamboo was prepared so that it could be transported to a carpentry shop where Celia and Carmen cut it into strips. During the search for the fabric we came across the company Solpack, whose headquarters and production factory were located half an hour from Piracicaba. They showed interest in the initiative from the beginning and ended up donating the fabrics and making their sewing department available, which was ultimately in charge of their preparation. In the future, we intend to use the mesh from onion, potato and orange sacks that can be recovered after transport and distribution. For the moment we decided to use new fabrics due to the very limited time in which the prototype had to be assembled.
The installation was carried out with the help of several student volunteers from UNIP Limeira: Allana Vintti, Claudio da Silva Neto, Daniele Corrêa, Luis Gustavo Rezende Gaiotto, Renata Soares, Ariana Harumi Pareja Nishimori, Patricia Miki Hatano Mine and of course Francielle Mattos.
As well as others who approached more spontaneously such as: Luis Gustavo Resende Gaiotto, Tomas Leme Simoni, …
The Festival took place in the Engenho Central de Piracicaba, a remnant of the sugar industry and historical heritage, today used as a cultural, artistic and recreational space. On the first day, coinciding with heavy rains, we took shelter in one of the covered spaces of the Engheño and the modules were produced. On the second day, already accompanied by good weather, the tower was assembled on a pallet base. Thanks to the extreme lightness of the structure and its modularity, no cranes, scaffolding or other auxiliary means were necessary for assembly.
Future
There are various experiences built around the world, which are undoubtedly of great interest. However, there is a lack of data to determine their results and effectiveness, as well as to enable communities or interested parties who need to reproduce them.
The idea that the only way to supply the planet with food is through local and sustainable small-scale production is gaining ground. In the same way, we are convinced of the advantages of supplying water with local, family or community solutions, which allow us to supply it in a sustainable way and naturally invite us to care for the environments around us.
That is why our interest in small local infrastructures capable of providing solutions to the needs of small communities is growing every day.
Due to heavy rain and especially the short test period, we were unable to collect reliable data on the proposed model.
In any case, before disseminating the proposed low-tech technology, we are aware that it is urgent to carry out experiments to test its effectiveness in different scenarios in which it could be applied, to determine the climatic conditions in which it could operate and to provide reference data to those who wish to apply it.
The tower has been donated to the recently created Model Office of the UNIP faculty in Limeira, which will reassemble it to activate one of its first research projects. The assembly is expected to take place before the end of the year.
Meanwhile, we have contacted Misael Rodriguez from “ We Wear Buildings ” so that with his collaboration we can design a simple and cheap control system, based on Arduino. Once the prototype has been designed and tested, its plans will be made available to those who want to monitor their fog catcher under a Creative Commons license.
The aim is to offer the possibility of connecting the fog catchers to the “IoT” ( Internet of Things ) so that it is possible to learn from each experience and draw real experimental conclusions from each installation.
This will allow water collection data from various towers in different locations around the world to be collected, shared and compared. This data will be very useful for individuals or groups who want to implement one to know which type of water condenser will best suit their specific climate conditions.
Finally, the initiative would have to have its own website, where designs, experiences, material, software and all the information necessary to make the project replicable were documented. To this end, the needs are being measured in order to launch a crowdfunding campaign at the beginning of 2016.
Research and society
Many were surprised and asked about the curious combination of a music festival and an experimental activity linked to university research. Ctrl+Z has always avoided inbreeding, results that are only useful for presentation to peers at conferences or are used only for articles in indexed academic journals.
Instead, our research and its results are channeled along paths that have continuous contact with society. This exchange is important to generate and maintain a lively urban debate on such important issues as water supply and use, and to receive the feedback necessary to move forward.
The number of interactions with the general public, initially attracted by the festival's musical offering, confirms the interest in this type of approach. The experience has undoubtedly served to revive the urban debate on the use of water in a region such as Sao Paulo, which is already experiencing water supply problems that are expected to become more acute in the future.
The number of interactions with the general public, initially attracted by the festival's musical offering, confirms the interest in this type of approach. The experience has undoubtedly served to revive the urban debate on the use of water in a region such as Sao Paulo, which is already experiencing water supply problems that are expected to become more acute in the future.
Involving university students was not just a way to gather volunteers and carry out the proposal. We were interested in passing on knowledge and, above all, in helping to raise awareness about issues such as this, which are often not covered in academic curricula.
