Designing a nature based dew collector to increase ecosystem services on gabions.

Abstract

Layman Summary Buildings are a good example of our separation from nature. Urban areas themselves cause habitat losses and concrete is unable to sustain life. Walls serve only one purpose: keeping nature out. On the other hand, the multifunctionality of nature is one of its recognizable properties. If we want to live in a sustainable, nature friendly world, we should change our singular purpose surroundings with multifunctionality in the same way it is seen in nature. Every anthropological design we create should be met with adding life-providing properties to create balance in our environment.

Walls have a high potential to be multifunctional, since they are often large, dead structures. Imagine a world where every wall is covered in plants, besides the fact that it looks good, it would cool down cities, filter fine particles out of the air, store carbon, and much more. This might sound like a farfetched scenario, but because of the increasing pressure on our environment, as well as on us humans, it is something that should be seen as a viable option to improve the sustainability of the earth.

This project contributes to that scenario trough testing a method that could potentially sustain life on walls. Generally, walls experience a large amount of water runoff, because of its vertical structure and exposure to the sun. This makes bricks in walls dry. The students that worked on this project before me, found that this high rate of water runoff is the main reason the gabions at the P-olympos Living Lab stay lifeless. Therefore, it was my job to try and increase water provision in the gabions. Firstly, I’ve searched for examples in nature that are able to passively generate water in arid places. One example found was the Namibian beetle, who uses its own back as a source of water. During sunrise, he lifts its back up into the sky, and because of the radiation coming off its back, he cools down. Because he is much colder than the atmosphere, dew droplets form on its back, that he channels to its mouth to drink from. This property is emulated in the construction that I have made. Panels with a large radiation cool off at night, and once the sun sets and the temperature in the atmosphere rises, dew droplets are formed on the panels. This water is then distributed over the gabions, with the idea to create the perfect conditions for life. Next to that, the condensers had organic shapes to give emphasis on the fact that they were nature-based, with the idea to inspire others to contribute to improving nature in urban areas as well.

Unfortunately, the condensers that I have made were taken away just before I could test them. Therefore, it is unclear how effective they would have been. Nevertheless, it can be assumed that they would have worked, and I have gained a lot of knowledge about constructing, using nature as inspiration and conducting design-based research. It will be the task of my successor to recreate these condensers and optimize them, so that nature is able to thrive on the gabions, and we become one step closer to having a fully sustainable earth.