Fourteenth International Conference on The Constructed Environment

Abstract

“Water architectures” are a set of global case studies in environmental design for water management. These long-standing systems interlace climate responsiveness, local material performance, and cultural significance. In the continuing climate crisis, we can reframe the relationship between building and water. This paper introduces a small subset of case studies in Bali, Iceland, India, Mexico, and Peru, which use sand and lava (vesicular basalt) for water absorption and filtration. These hardworking systems respond to regional weather phenomena and specific site conditions, alleviating drought, or monsoon flood. They artfully sculpt natural materials and work without mechanization but also imply technological applications. The systems host rich social practices; they are places of culture, devotion, and delight. To shape our perspective for the future, “Water Architectures” reveal holistic design principles, impactful material intelligence, and narratives for constructing more civic infrastructures. Within the constructed environment, this research unites architecture, landscape architecture, hydrology, and cultural geography. It employs detailed on-site investigation for accuracy and geospatial data for context. Water systems are documented using expanded architectural conventions, with drawings that span the regional scale down through the scale of the design detail and material cross-section. As both civic infrastructure and natural materials can be overlooked by design, these case studies seek to recognize the value of the systems and demonstrate synthetic design thinking that leverages the capacity of materials.