Our project was developed on two basic aspects. One was the understanding of the site, the area of Torre Barò in the surrounding, through the analysis of the humidity, and the other was the form finding process. In this case, the aim was to speculate on the most functional shape.We used strings to understand how it was possible to go further in a controlled twist. Doing several different models we understood which was the best rotation to achieve our goal, and we figured out the optimal solution which was a 90°twist. Because of the form we found our focus on the site, we joined them in a system in which it was possible to collect dew. The aim of the project is to produce vegetables through the use of an aeroponic system. This is a way of cultivation in which the soil is not necessary for plants grow. A mist of water and nutrients are pumped through nozzles and sprayed on the pendant roots, contained in a closed and controlled environment; surplus water can be reused in the system. With the dew collection, part of the amount of water used for the plants is collected by the system itself. The ETFE was used as a fabric for this purpose. The peculiarity of the project is that due to the rotation, it is possibile to have different shapes during the day. In the morning the pipes are standing to provide greater exposure to the plants. During the night they create a shape, with an angle of 30° to the ground, to permit the ETFE to catch the dew.

Form finding

Our aim in the form finding was to speculate on the best and functional shape. We used strings to understand how it’s possible to go further in a controlled twist. Doing several different models we understand which was the best rotation to achieve our goal, and we figure it out that the optimal solution was with a twist of 90°.

Aeroponic System

Aeroponic system is a way of cultivation in which the soil is not necessary for plants growth. A mist of water and nutrients are pumped through nozzles and sprayed on the pendant roots, contained in a close and controlled environment; surplus water can be reused in the system.  Dew Water shall be collected to create a sustainable system.

Technical requirements:

Number of plants harvested:  57

Power needed:  125 W

Water supply:  140 lt

Temperature:   day  between 22-24 °C

night between 16-18 °C

Relative humidity: between 60% and 70%

Site analysis 

Parallel to our research on dew collectors we decided to focus on the site analysis to understand how the humidity was distributed on the surface of the area. Even if the difference in perceived humidity was not so evident, we still could make a map of the distribution considering the radiation, the wind and the water flowing. Overlapping all this three site analysis we reached the final mapping of humidity.

 Architectural approach