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Wednesday, October 06, 2021
V8 Architects' Dutch pavilion generates water and food at Dubai Expo
www.dezeen.com: Dutch practice V8 Architects has created a pavilion with its own enclosed water, energy and food system and a leave-no-trace philosophy as the Netherlands' contribution to Expo 2020 Dubai.
It's honestly really sad that this is a temporary exhibit. It's such an interesting display of sustainable engineering and small scale agriculture. They took the time to thoroughly think through not only utilizing the environmental factors but protecting the inhabitants from them. Including textiles that remove UV light in the canopies was exceptionally forward thinking. The internal water cycling that takes care of not only the plants but the people is staggering. The cone shape of the plant tier is also such a smart us of space, it largely utilizes vertical space leaving much of the ground footage for people. If one of these existed in my community I would love to not only buy produce but also hang out in the space. It's such a visually and mentally stimulating environment. But I do understand, this is probably very expensive. The daily tickets to the expo are surprisingly inexpensive, however, at $27 a day. I've paid more for parking.
This installation is truly incredible, and unlike anything I have seen before. And yet… it is only temporary. I really hope this is taken as a proof of concept and either V8 Architects or other companies really dig into this idea and bring it to the masses. This installation is an entirely self-contained, self-sustaining little biosphere. And sure, maybe 600 liters of water a day is enough for one, maybe two people, but this is still water that has been harvested from the desert air in the middle of the United Arab Emirates. That is impressive, and sustainable. Although I am disappointed that it is a temporary installation, I also think it is massively impressive that it can all be taken down and left without a trace. The walls are steel pilings that will be returned to the steel yard they were rented from. The roof is steel tubing which will also be replaced. There were no foundations poured. Nothing is permanent. And yet it still looks like any other building you might come across. Now, of course this is not exactly infinitely scalable, but I still really appreciate the concept of it.
This exhibition is truly astonishing – it is a great balanced piece of art, agriculture and architecture. I really liked how every aspect is taken into consideration in a way that every material, every piece of the building, is there for a reason. The use of different materials, from metal to plants and textiles, gives the place both an industrial and natural aura. I like how the system feeds on itself in a way and utilises natural resources like sunlight as it truly enhances the idea that elements of nature are all interconnected and symbiotic. Also, the fact that most of the materials are from local suppliers and will be returned to the locals shows that the design team has considered all aspects of sustainability and really reduced the carbon footprint that would otherwise be made from transporting materials across countries.
I have to agree with my fellow commenters on this article that it is a shame that this is only a temporary exhibit for the Expo. Firstly, harvesting the moisture from the desert air sounds like an incredibly important engineering achievement that could help a lot of people around the world. Additionally, as an avid hiker and enthusiast of anything outdoor, leave no trace is so important to maintaining healthy ecosystems as humans pass through. All of the planning going into leave no trace for this exhibit is really impressive, and it goes all the way to putting the sand back into the site that it was removed from in an effort to restore the land to its natural state after Expo 2020. Finally, the was this exhibit is literally a living structure and is creating a local impact for food and water is the perfect example of artists immediately making a statement for what they believe is important. I really wish I was able to see Expo 2020 in Dubai because it sounds like a once in a lifetime experience.
4 comments:
It's honestly really sad that this is a temporary exhibit. It's such an interesting display of sustainable engineering and small scale agriculture. They took the time to thoroughly think through not only utilizing the environmental factors but protecting the inhabitants from them. Including textiles that remove UV light in the canopies was exceptionally forward thinking. The internal water cycling that takes care of not only the plants but the people is staggering. The cone shape of the plant tier is also such a smart us of space, it largely utilizes vertical space leaving much of the ground footage for people. If one of these existed in my community I would love to not only buy produce but also hang out in the space. It's such a visually and mentally stimulating environment. But I do understand, this is probably very expensive. The daily tickets to the expo are surprisingly inexpensive, however, at $27 a day. I've paid more for parking.
This installation is truly incredible, and unlike anything I have seen before. And yet… it is only temporary. I really hope this is taken as a proof of concept and either V8 Architects or other companies really dig into this idea and bring it to the masses. This installation is an entirely self-contained, self-sustaining little biosphere. And sure, maybe 600 liters of water a day is enough for one, maybe two people, but this is still water that has been harvested from the desert air in the middle of the United Arab Emirates. That is impressive, and sustainable. Although I am disappointed that it is a temporary installation, I also think it is massively impressive that it can all be taken down and left without a trace. The walls are steel pilings that will be returned to the steel yard they were rented from. The roof is steel tubing which will also be replaced. There were no foundations poured. Nothing is permanent. And yet it still looks like any other building you might come across. Now, of course this is not exactly infinitely scalable, but I still really appreciate the concept of it.
This exhibition is truly astonishing – it is a great balanced piece of art, agriculture and architecture. I really liked how every aspect is taken into consideration in a way that every material, every piece of the building, is there for a reason. The use of different materials, from metal to plants and textiles, gives the place both an industrial and natural aura. I like how the system feeds on itself in a way and utilises natural resources like sunlight as it truly enhances the idea that elements of nature are all interconnected and symbiotic. Also, the fact that most of the materials are from local suppliers and will be returned to the locals shows that the design team has considered all aspects of sustainability and really reduced the carbon footprint that would otherwise be made from transporting materials across countries.
I have to agree with my fellow commenters on this article that it is a shame that this is only a temporary exhibit for the Expo. Firstly, harvesting the moisture from the desert air sounds like an incredibly important engineering achievement that could help a lot of people around the world. Additionally, as an avid hiker and enthusiast of anything outdoor, leave no trace is so important to maintaining healthy ecosystems as humans pass through. All of the planning going into leave no trace for this exhibit is really impressive, and it goes all the way to putting the sand back into the site that it was removed from in an effort to restore the land to its natural state after Expo 2020. Finally, the was this exhibit is literally a living structure and is creating a local impact for food and water is the perfect example of artists immediately making a statement for what they believe is important. I really wish I was able to see Expo 2020 in Dubai because it sounds like a once in a lifetime experience.
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