This is Aquavert Condominium. It aims to solve urban
water use.
More than 90% of the 11.5 acres around the site located
at 257 South 13th Street is covered by impervious surfaces. When it rains all
of the water that falls on these surfaces is not absorbed by the ground, but
instead is redirected into combined sewers where the water is mixed with human
and chemical waste in a single pipe. When there is too much rain for the system
to handle the sewers overflow into
streets and basements, creating a major public health hazard and necessitating
expensive cleanups. This is a frequent occurrence in Philadelphia.
A goal of the design is to limit combined sewer overflow
in Philadelphia. This is primarily accomplished by redirecting a substantial
quantity of rainwater from the immediate catchment zone to Aquavert.
Surrounding property owners will plug their storm drains
into the Aquavert system as a means of avoiding the new storm water fair use
tax es proposed by Mayor Nutter. These property owners will pay Aquavert a
fraction of this new tax and Aquavert will be supplied with free rain water
needed to run its systems.
Every inch of rain that falls in the catchment zone
equates to more than 300,000 gallons of water.
Aquavert has the capability to store up to 50,000 gallons at a time.
Philadelphia averages 42 inches of rain per year. This is a small yet
significant reduction to the load imposed on public infrastructure.
Rain that falls directly on the site is caught by a large
canopy atop the building and stored at roof level. This is done in an effort to
limit the amount of energy consumed pumping water up. The rest is funneled to
the site in gutters along surrounding streets.
Water entering the site at ground level is directed through deep
pervious channels running perpendicular to 13th street. Water not absorbed by
the earth is processed and kept in holding tanks in the basement.
All of the water collected is used within the building's
infrastructure for a variety of needs.
The ground and roof areas for collection and storage are
linked by plumbing infrastructure that is prominently visible just within the
south facade. All water-intensive activities are programmed within or just next
to this water zone that comprises the southern portion of the condominium.
The most basic application of water is for typical
residential needs: cooking, bathing, cleaning, and flushing toilets. The
storage tank on the roof also doubles as a non-chlorinated pool that residents
can use for recreational purposes.
Another route for water to take from the roof is through
pipes that snake along the south facade. These have holes along the top surface
that enable plants to be grown hydroponically right in them. These pipes end in
the water tank propped just above the entrance on 13th Street.
This tank is the center of the condominium association's
aquaculture program, helping to establish a closed loop of aquaponics in which
effluent from the fish is used to fertilize the plants and plant waste is used
to feed the fish.
The produce and fish farm will be maintained by
professionals employed by the market located on the east wing of the ground
level (and outdoors when appropriate).
To the south of Aquavert is an 8-story hotel and across
the street to the west is a 10-story apartment building. These existing structures cast substantial
shadows on the site throughout the year leaving just a portion in northeast of
the site with year-round direct sunlight.
In response to this constraint as the building grows vertically it also
expands to the west, providing more and more direct sunshine to the south
facade throughout the year.
The water zone provides not only a means of transport for
water, but also for people, produce, and fresh air. Encased in glass and with
porous floors the water zone creates an opportunity to take advantage of the
stack effect for natural ventilation and passive cooling and heating. The
resulting temperate zone -- neither
inside nor out -- lessens the load on mechanical HVAC systems. Stairs in the
water zone connect the building from ground to roof, providing people tending
the hydroponic garden a means of quickly moving between floors without need of
the elevators.
Excepting units on the 9th floor, all units are
duplexes. The result is that the lower floor
has a hallway to access the elevators while the upper level is plugged directly
into the water zone. All water intensive
programming within units is pushed against the water zone. On the upper floor residents have direct
access to the water zone whereas on the entry floor there is an interior
hallway that is part of the interior conditioned space before the water zone.
As part of the idea of the re-value studio I propose that
the structure and rules of the condo association be rethought to incorporate
some policies that are relevant to what this condominium is all about.
Residents are required to help during harvests. As a means of encouraging
sustainable transportation the ground floor entrance has an integrated bike
storage area. The design will take
advantage of the competitive nature of humans as well as the ability for a
community to affect an individual's behavior. Water consumption statistics will
be displayed prominently in the entrance. As a result neighbors will be able to
monitor not only their own daily consumption in real time, but also compare
their own behavior to their neighbors'.
The Condo Association structure is advantageous because if a tenant
violates a rule, he can be fined or even evicted.
In the spirit of the lifestyles that might comprise the
people who would want to live in a vertical aquaponic condo there are 2 whole
floors with extra floor-ceiling heights that are not dedicated to residences.
The 8th floor is the garden level and provides horizontal space for growing larger
species such as dwarf fruit trees that cannot be accommodated by the hydroponic
pipes. The east side of the 12th floor provides space for the rooftop pool or
water storage tank and a professional kitchen that cooks food grown on the
premises and services the dining room on the west end.
Altogether, this design will accomplish four goals:
improving the environmental condition of the neighborhood, creating a building
that is not a resource drain, creating a community that is not a resource
drain, and reinvigorating a neighborhood by inspiring members to behave with an
ecological conscience.