Aqua Arcadia

Site Context

The location of the project is in the United Arab Emirates. A city called Al Ain.
Al Ain is an inland city, near the border of Oman and it is located east to Dubai and Abu Dhabi. Al Ain is famous for its cultural richness, oasis and its historical significance. Benefit from the special geological location, which situated at the feet of jebel hafeet, the mountain at the boarder to Oman, Al Ain is supplied with the freshwater aquifer, which benefit for the growth of vegetation. Therefore, Al ain housing 7 oases under the hot arid climate. 

There are mainly 2 seasons, summer and winter. In Summer, Al Ain experience extreme high temperatures which the average temp is 40-degree c. In winter, the daytime temperatures is around 20°C . There is not that much rainfall for the whole country, the annual rainfall is only around 100mm, and it mainly happen in wintertime.

Water Scarcity vs Water Conservation

During last year on- site Fieldwork, my prototype is trying to use brine the desalination by product to scrubber air and to clean air. For the experiment use, I have collected different type of water, From coastal brine to the brackish water from the irrigation system. During the collection, it increases my awareness on the water scarcity and importance of water conservation under hot arid climate.

Local Water Resources

There are three potential local water resources : Wadi flash flood, falaj system and rainwater. 

Wadi is the dry riverbed all over the year except the rain season. There are three main wadies in Al Ain, which wadi is Specialize in al ain as it location. Wadi flood would be the water collection and storage and also Flash flood bring sediment deposition, that fertilize the soil.  There is also a cultural symbolic meaning of the wadi, representing the celebration of the coming of winter.

The falaj system is a traditional irrigation system that sourced from the jebel hafeet, it is a channel run through the 7 oasis, drive and distribute water by gravity. The system help to minimize water loss, and cool the surrounding through evaporative cooling.
 

Program & Site

My project is trying to investigate how building as an educator to raise awareness on water conservation, create an on-site self-sustaining water system, and reflecting the relationship between manmade urban fabric and organic nature.

The project is housing 4 different functions, the water experimentarium that contains exhibition and experimental zone. The research station that provides place to explore the future solution on water, The artist studio and workshop that promote local art craft and the central courtyard, provide learning through walking into nature, cooling and shading, open space that prepared for parties and fiesta in wintertime.

The site is recently it is a vacant land, and it is located between the Al Jimi Oasis and Al Ain Oasis, adjacent to Wadi Silemi.

Design Proposal

To achieve the immersive learning experience, the design is in four aspects. The spatial & materiality, the seasonal experience, erosion & meander and the self- sustaining water system.

The overall organization of the architecture try to guide visitor from the past to the future of water through the journey. 

Contain exhibition zone that start from the origin of water in the UAE, zone that demonstrates the different water resources in the UAE, exhibition zone that demonstrate the water & ecology relationship, then to the experiment zone that allows hand on interactive learning, then walk towards the wadi and more open up, for wadi ecology exhibition. Follow by the research station that provide space for innovation investment on the water conservation.  There is also the central courtyard with sunken café that allows people to gather. Especially in winter, parties and fiesta could take place.

The falaj system created at the center of the building as a guide of the walking.

The falaj passed through most of the space in the design and soften some of the building boundaries and creating semi outdoor space. Passing through all the space, bring water into the space, allow vegetation invades the interior space and the running water at the falaj system also serve as evaporative cooling system especially for summertime.

Seasonal Experience

As the seasonal flood is a spiritual thing in Al Ain that symbolizes the transition of season, there are change of spaces prepare for the celebration of the winter.
In summer, the building serve as an educational facility that people learn and gather within the space and learn from the exhibition. While in winter, the space turn into a big gathering space that for the celebration of the winter and water coming.

Erosion, deposition & Meander

The soften of the wadi boundaries allows water to get into the site when there is flash flood. That allows erosion and deposition occur at the part of building that in touch with water. Taking reference and inspired by the al madam district in Al Ain and it shows how sand and nature invaded into the building over time.

The building is using concrete structure with rammed earth wall. Rammed Earth allow erosion of the wall and deposition take place when water come. The deposition of sand also mean it brings more fertile soil to the site and allow vegetation to grow on site.

The idea of the erosion is to through the erosion & deposition process, provide an experience that every year people come, they see different moment of the condition of the architecture, more and more invaded by nature, and it creates a stronger impact experience about the water education.

Over a period of time, only the concrete structure with invaded landscape, it also reflects on the contrast and relationship of manmade architecture and the nature.

Self-sustaining water system

There are different type of water collection and recycle through the building to create the self-sustaining water system.