Images

View from inside a compost looking towards the plant beds and water storage.


View looking towards the plant beds, water storage and compost.

Sections

Section AA


Section BB

The Proposal

The rainwater is collected from the buildings surrounding the cluster and stored in a concrete tank under a terrace. From the tank pipes transports the water to the plant beds

Plan showing two clusters
1. rainwater collection
2. rainwater storage
3. plant beds
4. trees to stabilise ground
5. paired compost

Composting

A cluster consists of rainwater collection, storage of rainwater, plant beds and compost. Each cluster could function individually but the idea is that excess water and compost materials feed the cluster at a lower level. The first cluster will be fed by a compost of organic material from the green area at the top of the hill.

The compost is a unit where organic waste is disposed at the lowest part of one cluster and the decomposed material is used to enrich the soil of the cluster at the next level. Each compost is paired so that while one is used, the organic material of the other one is decomposed which takes a few weeks.

A Cluster - From Rainwater to Compost

Rainwater is harvested from the existing roofs of the ranchos and fed to a rainwater storage tank. Depending on the frequency and amount of water during rainfalls the level of water in the tank varies.

The harvested rainwater from the tank is used for irrigation of vegetables. Depending on the level of water in the storage, different plants are irrigated. The plant most sensitive to draughts, lettuce, is irrigated even when the level is lowest. The system is automated and controls how much water each type of plant receives.

The organic waste of the plants is collected and disposed in the composting units, where the organic material is decomposed and then used to enrich the soil of the plant beds.