ecosistema urbano
SUMMARY: In this context it is necessary to implement new solutions for water treatment and environmental education within the existing city to set a new standard for a very different future. Even if water is a major issue in a world context when living in a developed country we tend to forget that over large parts of the world, millions of people have inadequate access to potable water.
Sustainability is based on education and knowledge and we, as architects, express our ideas as statements when designing the city. We aim to promote a more respectful attitude towards environment and specially towards water.
Up to today we have developed and constructed a prototype installation. It is placed in a public space (park) linked to a kindergarden. The macrophite lagoon is purifying the waste waters from the building, both the grey and black waters. Then, this recycled water is reused for the irrigation of the whole park. We wanted to make visible this process and include it into the design of the public space. It was also key to link it to an educational building since sustainability is most related to education.
With this installation thousands of litres of drinkable water can be saved from the network. If applied at a larger scale less water will enter the city sewage systems saving the government from building new treatment plants and water quality will be increased to better than that supplied originally.
We are designing two different solutions:
1: For suburban areas with single housing: A residual space (such as roundabouts) can collect the waste waters for its purification. Then this reusable water is redistributed among the different housing and can be used for different purposes: irrigation, car washing, etc..
2: For public buildings: the municipality can implement the system in a location where there are several public facilities (offices, school and cultural building) with the aim of reducing water consumption by reusing the treated water to irrigate public spaces.
PROBLEM SPACE: We know 40% of the water consumed in the world is used in building facilities. We believe it is important to develop technologies and products as small scale solutions applicable locally for both: improving the management of this scarce resource and second but also relevant: raising awareness of the problem.
SOLUTION: Ecosistema urbano is an experienced team able to offer and develop these services. We will also count with the support of the company HIDROLUTION who will be in charge of the final implementation and the building process. The Plaza Ecopolis pilot experience has already been approved by the European Committee and by several institutions concerned by strategies which are able to transform the context of the cities and on sustainable issues. As we are a design company (architecture, urbanism, social processes and consulting) we have to collaborate with a construction company and engineers. We have a local team for the Region of Madrid and we will find different local teams for the others regions in Spain, assuming that we have to make a strategic joint venture with HIDROLUTION, which is the company that provides the patent for the treatment system.
CONTACT PERSON: [email protected]