Project Name: mobileCRECHES: a 99-RUPEE ($2) Water Filter and shiftingEARTH: a Portable Trombe Wall

>> a portable water purification system using solar energy and a "sweater bag" of reclaimed tarp to clean water for $2 USD per unit. clean water is not potable, but can be used for household applications. <<

Project Type:
5) industrial/product design

Project Mission/Goal:
3) respond to our growing need for clean water, power, shelter, healthcare, education

Project Description:
> Water Filter System:
Every morning a truck pulls onto the sites occupied by Mobile Crèches to give the children and faculty their allotted water for the day. Although this supply is ample in quantity, it generally is insufficient in terms of quality, containing bacteria that must be boiled away before consumption. As the gas required to boil this water is quite expensive, the Crèche only boils drinking water, despite the fact that the bacteria contained in the water is often sufficient to compromise other activities such as washing.

To address this concern, our team turned to the sun. Using a standard sweater bag, a reclaimed tarp and four grommets, our team proposed creating a bag for transporting water that could unfold and expose its contents to the sun. After only 6-8 hours (longer if cloudy) of exposure the sun would eliminate over 98% of contaminants from the water, greatly reducing the likelihood that this water would cause illness. Although not sufficient to make this water potable by itself, this system would provide the crèche with water clean enough to wash dishes and hands. When combined with the other hygienic systems proposed by our team, all of which used common materials such as paint and reclaimed wood to address concerns ranging from the location of various activities to health-related educational initiatives, this device could help Mumbai Mobile Crèches reduce the likelihood of water-borne illnesses and promote a healthy learning environment.

> Trombe Wall:
During our second week overseas, our team noticed that children living in Mumbai have alarmingly high rates of illnesses brought about by various air-borne pollutants. In response, we expanded our research and uncovered several indigenous plants that could potentially remove these contaminants from the air. As this line of inquiry progressed, our team delved into matters of construction, hypothesizing that it might be possible to create a green wall that would help to clean the air. Just as important, given the ever-shifting nature of our client’s centers, this green wall could also be transportable. If the wall were constructed as two distinct parts, portable exterior structure and variable infill, once the school was no longer needed, construction workers could potentially drain the earth from the wall and return it to the site, where it would be retrained using a new set of indigenous plants.

Although quite interesting as a hypothetical, our team had no idea if this proposal could be executed using the means and materials available to the client. To answer these questions, our team analyzed this wall relative to other systems of construction currently used to create a crèche. From this assessment, we proposed a wall that could be constructed using a reusable outer form containing no more rebar than typically used in CMU wall construction, common plastic tarps, and various forms of earth and rubble – a system of construction that eliminated the need to purchase full blocks and minimized the amount of waste created during construction.

To ascertain if this system could be executed within the conditions of the project, the IDC, through funding from the AIA, teamed up with local laborers (individuals who would largely be responsible for building versions of this wall should it prove useful) to construct several experimental versions of the wall. Through these constructions our team was able to realize a wall that spoke to issues of commodity (how the proposal spoke to the site, program and budget), firmness (how much deflection could be accommodated before the wall would crumble), and delight (how the unique deflection offered by this proposal animated the wall both immediately through the play of shadows and over time as the wall moved to accommodate different forces).

Links:
International Design Clinic: http://www.internationaldesignclinic.org/make/su08india/#water-filter
International Design Clinic: http://www.internationaldesignclinic.org/make/su08india/#shifting-earth

Project Details:
Location: Mumbai, India
Concept/Lead Architect(s)/Designer(s): International Design Clinic
Project Architect(s):
Year (s): 2008
Client: Mumbai Mobile Creches
User Client: Children of Migrant Workers, living on the construction sites of India
Number of beneficiaries/users: 10,000/year
Project Phase: design development
Major Funding: International Design Clinic
Cost/Cost per unit: $2/unit
Area (if applicable):
Structural Engineers:
Electrical/Mechanical Engineers:
Contractor/Manufacturer:
Additional Consultants:
Other:

Nominated by Scott Shall, IDC

Location