This is a Preliminary layered plan of the different infrastructural networks on the site. Still not pleased with it; I am trying to get the various networks more integrated with one another and with the site itself. Thinking that the form should emerge from mapping of the forces on site: rainfall, evaporation, gravity, existing habitats and their fluctuations, irradiation, circulation, economy etc. As well, I am still feeling that the connection between the infrastructural systems and the public realm is missing. The point is to have infrastructures that augment the living environment, not just run along it (or obliterate it altogether). Need to let the plans be and venture into 3D sections and models.
The following is a list of design guidelines, compiled from the collection of case studies brought in the previous posting. These are similarly divided into three categories: Water, Energy and Controlled Environments.
WATER-
1.Use existing topography and gravity forces.
2.Provide basins to capture runoff water from expansive catchment areas
3.Provide auxiliary reservoirs for water needs (both domestic and agricultural) for minimum 2 rain seasons.
4.Allow interconnectivity between reservoirs to optimize water availability (communicating vessels).
5.Take advantage of air born moisture (dew), rain collected from rooftops and reclaimed wastewater.
6.Invest in long term aquifer recharge- enhance water table by releasing cleansed water back to the wadi.
ENERGY-
1.Plan a system compatible with existing electrical grid, ready for incremental deployment
2.Select energy production technology according to site context, orientation, topography, community size, solar radiation available, climate data etc.
3.Allow for two way transmission- the inverted grid
4.Plan adequate storage for down times
5.Enable system modularity for future upgrades
6.Integrate smart grid capabilities: web communication, networking, monitoring and responsive feedback loops
CONTROLLED ENVIRONMENTS-
1.Study the physical and cultural context, in multiple scales
2.Acknowledge the limitations of the closed system- plan imports and exports to be in healthy equilibrium
3.Work with the site conditions and natural processes of the system
4.Encourage self organization and emergence patterns
5.Synthesize effective water, energy and agricultural systems with urban place making.
The following is an overview of strategies, systems and projects. These are used as precedents to inspire a compilation of design guidelines, for the synthesizing of water and solar infrastructures with controlled environments. This will form the bulk of chapter 3.
