Water Systems & Biophillic Design

Introduction:

Maximise water capture and minimise water use for efficiency
Self sufficient such as water collection and storage, imrpove conditions of water by treatment, minimise water demand, water efficient appliances etc

Water flows in net positive water buildings

rain water harvesting to reduce impact of storm water if you capture it in the building, closed cycles, water reuse, nature based solutions (if more land available), water for irrigation and landscaping, treatment at end of cycle how is it treated since there is no grid (in samoa no water grid)
where water flows from roof, lowest point where to capture the water and take it to storage, highlight different colours for different use and

Rainwater Harvesting

Collection in the roof, shape and form it can dictate from what point to collect from and if its on the ends or in the middle if sloping into the centre for example
Roof surface area so more rainwater can be captured then down pipes at lowest points in the roof, first flush diverter if there is dust or contaminants in roof the first flush is discharged then you have rain water go into the tank
Can have seperate systems eg potable vs non-potable, green roofs for stormwater runoff and rainwater harvesting/filtration as it slows the runoff
Retention tanks store excess stormwater runoff for use in the building at a leter date, keeping it and using it for different purposes of the building, mainly for stormwater and flooding prevention and manage flow of runoff entering rivers and streams instead of water flowing through our streets and loads of drainage systems around streets, instead where you can use that water into the building.
- there are rainwater tank size calculator from auckland council (only for NZ), rainwater for what its used for and it gives average demand not for a very efficient water system but gives rough sizes
- so anywhere there are above-ground tanks when there’s a lot of space thin tanks and underground space where there’s places with not a lot of space available to have them above-ground.
- Aquacomb (water tanks under foundation of the building, mainly for limited space)

Creative Approaches

Sun-rain-rooms in UK there is water harvesting that is stoed in a visible space that was left open so people could see what was happening, its expose and goes through an interesting filtration system, water being visible to people not just in ground.
Water storage can be made visible with glass
In thailand pylonesque where roof funnels the water and then goes underground because its educational it makes it visible with the kids.

Uses for rainwater

Filtration and Treatment slide

Water efficiency

How water is used in summer and winter differently and what is usually the same
Water in toilets that is treated water is a waste, can use non-potable for toilets can help save a lot.

Composting Toilets

when done well its very clean and does not smell bad so you don’t need to use as much water but there are bad examples, if in a remote place and not a lot of water available then can use this.
Vaccuum toilets is flushed with 0.8-1.5L
Gravity speration toilets

Water reusing

Grey water from showers, appliancs which can be reused for watering gardens easier to
Black water harder to treat coming from toilets and kitchen sinks and requires thorough treatment
Hydra loop system to recycle and reuse water within the building which is small for places that do not have availablespace like apartment or townhouse

Nature based solutions

Root zone approach uses constructed wetlands
Landscaping areas can have plants and filtration systems that go through various levels where water is slowly treated from one side ot the other and using plants and nature

Examples Assignment 2 from 2025

A3 landscape format
Introducing the project doe wananga project, purpose of building
Linking to Goals of the living building challenge, relating the focus to the current climate
Sectional System prominent but arhitecture less prominent but shows context
Solutions integrated to landscape
Metrics (can use AI to help with that)
nutrient and material goals and flows, can show explodded axo of components etc, thinking of waste where it will go, principles for choosing those materials
what are the impacts and process of getting the material and bringing it onto site
what is being grown
What is the local vegetation and fauna and showing strategies for creating habitat for other species (could look at birds maybe)
More than human animals and species trying to support and could be within building or outside
life cycle diagrams just photos arrows and some labelsjsut make sure everything looks clean

Designing Water systems into your assignment

Recording - lecture from 2025 on Biophilic and Eco-Revealatory Design:

Biophillic Design

Reconnect people with nature by integrating natural elements, patterns, and processes into the built environment
Incroporates natural light, venitliation, vegetation, water, organic forms, and materials
In urban contexts biophilllic design can counteract the sensory deprivation and disconnection from nature common in dense cities, offerinf psychological and health benefits

Benefits

Look at biophilic design for visualisation by stephen hetler

Patterns of Biophillic

ways peopleunderstood how to implement those into architecture (transition spaces to include lots of piohillia?)

Nature in the space
Natural analogiues
- biomorphics forms and patterns, material connection with nature, complexity and order
Nature of the space
- how we create the shapes of environments where people are in those buildings (prospect, refuge, mystery, risk/peril) either enclosing or opening spaces, following forms to create na envieonment

Neuroarchitecture

integrates neuroscienceand architcture and focuses on how individuals interact with design and can have spaces that are less stressful environments

Examples

Biophillic cities pattern library