Editors’s Choice
2018 Skyscraper Competition
Christopher Pin, Timothy Lai
Canada
“Though technological processes are intrinsic when discussing a strategy for urban water sustainability, it will play a minor factor in the overall design. Lotus seeks to strengthen public awareness of the fragility of Urban Fresh Water.”
THE PROBLEM
Rising global population, mass fringe migration to urban cores, and rising tides are just a few reasons that heavily indicate a heightened concern surrounding Urban Water Security for the future megacities. Water pollution and supply deficit are issues that will require a solution that is both sustainable and iterative. As cities continue to trend towards Megacities, strategies to mitigate fresh water scarcity will be at the forefront of the urban dialogue. While focus on current technology is important, developing new means of dealing with water depletion is crucial for urban health.
China: A Nation Prone to Fresh Water Crisis
Currently, due to increasing urbanization, the municipal water demand in cities of China are projected to grow 70% in 2030 (Wang et al., 2017). Though China’s need for renewable freshwater continues to escalate, availability is barely one-third of the world’s average. Shanghai falls amongst China’s 36 worst cities regarding water quality (Zhen et al., 2017), and between 2010-2012 it was reported by the cities water census that 3% of local surface water was clean for fish farms or household use. Shanghai exemplifies the battle China is fighting from one mega city to the next, and can be utilized as a case study for the proposed socio-political strategy surrounding water sustainability.
THE SOLUTION
Lotus intends to provide a unique dialogue surrounding water sustainability, approaching urban fresh-water as a communal urban focus. Lotus is an architectural monument that cultivates onus and stewardship regarding the cities freshwater, while emphasizing water experientially to increase quality of life in the urban core. Though technological processes are intrinsic when discussing a strategy for urban water sustainability, it will play a minor factor in the overall design. Lotus seeks to strengthen public awareness of the fragility of Urban Fresh Water. Read the rest of this entry »