Harvesting Facade
Creators: T.Y. Lee, Sean Yaekwon Lee, Nhat Ngoc Nguyen, Jeff Zejun Wang
Supervisors: Jonathan Knowles & Peter Yeadon
This project was developed within an interdisciplinary advanced design studio at RISD that offered an opportunity for students to experiment with responsive biomaterials, meet some experts, tackle the problem of water scarcity, and develop innovative climate solutions for tall buildings in arid regions. As a partnership between the departments of Architecture and Industrial Design, teams of students designed and prototyped some working atmospheric water generators (AWG), and some tall buildings that the AWGs were designed to be a part of. Building on the United Nations’ recognition of water as a human right and UN Sustainable Development Goals, the studio responded to global challenges of water scarcity caused by climate change, drought, and declining freshwater resources.
Harvesting Facade proposes a climate-responsive tall building for Dubai that integrates atmospheric water generation (AWG) into its architectural framework. A network of vertical cable structures supports modular AWG units across the façade, enabling the passive capture of moisture from the air and its conversion into usable water. In doing so, the building operates as a self-sustaining system that responds directly to its environment.
Atmospheric water generator working prototype: design, fabrication, and testing
The harvested water is redistributed throughout the tower to support a series of ecological and public programs, including an elevated garden and a long landscaped bridge that connects pedestrians to neighboring skyscrapers and ends at the Museum of the Future. Together, these elements form a continuous green infrastructure, introducing vegetation, shade, and microclimates into an otherwise harsh desert context.
Tall building model; section in context; superstructure elements; facade model
Conceived as both a landmark and an environmental system, the project engages with wind, humidity, and light as active design parameters. By integrating modular AWG technology into architectural form, the tower establishes a symbiotic relationship between built and natural systems, offering a model for how tall buildings can contribute to environmental resilience while enhancing public experience.
Making hygroscopic biocomposites; final studio exhibition
Previous Next
Back︎︎︎
