Integrated Architectural Water Systems:
A 3D printed and textile hybrid water capture, transport, and storage strategy for urban building envelopes
M.Sc. Integrative Technologies and Architectural Design Research, Master’s Thesis (2018)
Advisers: Dylan Wood, Tiffany Cheng
Abstract:
Increasing environmental, technological, and social pressures on urban water systems in recent years have undermined water supply and security in many cities, creating a growing need for new ways of managing water as well as supplemental sources of water, which can be harnessed locally and managed on site in a decentralized way. The main argument put forth in this thesis is that building envelopes should play a leading role in the effort to capture and use local atmospheric water sources where climatic conditions are conducive. The research aim is to develop a building envelope design that combines multiple functions related to in-situ water management to establish an integrated and resilient approach for hyperlocal urban water-food systems and residential living. This is done through a hybridized approach combining an existing state of the art 3D woven water capture textile with multifunctional, small-scale DLP 3D printed structures. The site chosen for the proof of concept is the Golden Gate Heights neighborhood of San Francisco, CA.
