The document discusses water management interventions in Viana, Angola. It describes how open drainage systems and water collection can turn water problems into resources. Intervention #1 involves creating active drains and stormwater pockets that function as social spaces. Intervention #2 centers around developing water towers as identifying landmarks that purify water and create meeting places. The towers are designed to utilize local materials and reference local trees to encourage skills and identity.

1. INTERVENTIONS
In Viana we have investigated how water, as
a public right, can act as a spatial and social
organizer, framing the Angolan urban life.

2. THE INTERVENTIONS
TURNING PROBLEM INTO RESOURCE
ACTIVE DRAIN &
STORM-WATER POCKET
WATER TREATMENT-
& WIND-TOWER
HUMIDITY CATCHERS
ADD-ON GRIDS
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3. NERVE
THE WATER PROBLEM INTO RESOURCE
TURNING
INTERVENTION
#1

4. DRAINAGE
THE CURRENT SITUATION IN VIANA
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OPEN WATER LINES ARE CLOSELY RELATED TO WASTE
:VIANA NATURAL DRAINAGE/ WASTE DITCH
DRAINAGE AND WATER MANAGEMENT ARE
HUGE CHALLENGES OF LUANDA, CAUSING
PROBLEMS FOR THE CITY FLOW, AS WELL AS WATER FINDS
FOR SAFETY AND WELL-BEING OF THE POPU- IT’S OWN WAYS
LATION -ESPECIALLY IN THE INFORMAL AREAS.
resulting in erosion and poor road quality seeing where water naturally collects resulting in a layer of green and in bigger scale
...BUT CAN ALSO
...OR HELPED TO
BE ADAPTED
GET THROUGH THE
URBAN SURFACE
drainage ditch through informal residential area drainage ditch in the middle of the road different levels of ground different levels of ground rounded stones cobble stone vegetation(earth) / soft ground

5. OPEN INFRASTRUCTURE
AN URBAN ECOLOGY
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COMMON DRAINAGE TUBE SYSTEM OPEN DRAINAGE SYSTEM POCKET
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POCKET
LITTLE WATER FLOODING LITTLE WATER FLOODING
No access Limited capacity leads to Protect and access the little water Flood pockets for seasonal rain. Allows for a new way of using
uncontrolled surface water the space and the water resource
The open drainage system allows a VARIETY OF SPATIAL QUALITIES,
TURNING THE PROBLEM INTO AN ACCESSIBLE RESOURCE
Over-engineered drainage channel. Example from Luanda.
ACTIVE DRAIN AND STORM-WATER POCKET
DRY SEASON RAIN SEASON
LOW WATER STAND HIGH WATER STAND
DRAIN DRAIN
Houses gets an extended platform outside and
creates a meeting-place between the public
and private.
By making the drain a socially accessible space,
its users will feel a sense of ownership and
responsibility and engage in the maintenance of
the area, preventing it from becoming a dump.
The slope is vegetated for erosion control.
People in the neighborhood can use this fertile
earth for small-scale farming.
HIGH WATER STAND
POCKET
THE WATER-POINT LOW WATER STAND
POCKET

6. OPEN INFRASTRUCTURE
THE SOCIAL STREET
THE LOGIC OF THE PLACE
THE PAVEMENT ELEMENT
Simple framework Fill-in with locally found materials Stabilized by each other. Functions as erosion control for
Can be laid irregularly the drain, and provides spatial
to fit different contexts. qualities and a social arena.
DRAIN AND FILTER MATERIALS
The unlimited resource of the red sand Little investment - Local production at site Example of stacked sand bags Nylon bags filled with sand is something
we found already in use in Viana. Yet, the
bags need to be protected from sun and
wear.
Gabon boxes are great building bricks, Stone is an optimal filter material for Gabon boxes can be filled with other material as well, such
and can be locally produced. blocking larger obstacles to enter the as recycled plastics, old concrete and bricks, and much more.
water system.The gabon carpet is efficient
for preventing erosion.
This locally found material is a good filter The locally grown sisal plant is suitable for making organic mesh which can be laid as a blanket in the drainage slopa
material, and makes beautifaul paving. for erosion control. Vegetation is allowed to grow through is, and the roots of the plants is a helping hand in preventing
erosion.

7. #2
INTERVENTION
“This is the local referance”
LOCAL REFERENCE & GENERATOR
LOCAL INSPIRATION: The Embondeiro tree
The Embondeiro is called the Tree of Life, and
can hold as many as 4,5 thousand litters of wa-
ter. In sub-Sahara people used to hollow out
baobab trees to use as reservoirs for the rain-
water falling in the wet season.
THE WATER-POINTS

8. WATER-POINT AS A SOCIAL ARENA
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The water-point is always filled with people.
It’s where everyone from the neighborhood
gather, chat and make connections. You
could say it’s a very important social arena.

9. THE WATER TOWER
FILTER TANK
WATER FILTER STATION Water moves through layers of
sand and rocks and charcoal.
LOCAL IDENTITY & SOCIAL SPACE
The technical build-up of the tower’s The skin incapsulates the geometric
elements. tower with a dynamic form.The material
In every water-point the bearing inner and building technique of the skin can
construction of the tower is identical be varied at each location, creating a
and thus recognizable, while the FRESH WATER TANK
Water is here being disinfected with
place-specific identity and a point of
variable outer skin is place-specific and chlorine (an element that occurs
naturally in salts). Potable water is
reference.
makes out a local reference. here ready for use. The tank has a 42
hour storage capacity.
The outer facade creates an air-shaft
for ventilation and cooling, as well as
it provides with shade. A temperate,
comfortable civic space is formed within
TOWER STANDARD CONSTRUCTION
Allows for mass-production which makes the tower
the tower.
economically achievable. The construction meeting
ground-floor has a slightly different aesthetic than the
above, with high ceiling and openness, creating a sense
of public space.
OUTER SKIN
Unique form in each location., giving the tower a local
identity. Possibility of using local materials in a new way,
encouraging local skills and know-how in favour of
imported techniques.
Construction is plugged on to the inner loadbearing
construction of the tanks.
FRESH WATER OUTLET
A space for social gathering.
SPILL-WATER COLLECTOR
Water moving through porous floor and
filter, into grey-water tank underneath.
FOUNDATION STANDARD CONSTRUCTION
Foundation below ground level. The standard construc-
tion allows for mass-production and is economically
efficient.
The structure incapsulates the grey- and storm-water
tanks.
GREY-WATER TANK
Water from the surrounding humidity
catchers are collected here and stored,
ready to be pumped up into the filter-
tank.
STORM-WATER TANK
Storm-water during rain season is
collected here after going through the
storm-water pocket. The tank varies in
size (depth) depending on the capacity
for the surrounding area to collect
storm-water.
THE WATER-POINT PERFORMANCES
THE WATER POINT A VISUAL ELEMENT MEETING PLACE AND PUBLIC FLOOR GIVING SHADE PV. SOLAR PANELS FOR LIGHT A WINDTOWER AND CONNECTOR
The water tower makes a shaded, Because of it’s The tower may also
The water tower captures The tower is a visual element
public space, while p.v. panels on natural elevation, connect to different
gray-water and purifies it because of its height and
the top provides a lighted place at the water tower public programs,
into public drinking water. recognizable structure. It’s a
nighttime. can be constructed serving as a stairwell
natural meeting place and a
Each tower can hold as a wind tower, and generator.
part of the open, public floor. 180 m2 pv solar panels, 150 W/m2/h gives an
50 000 liters of clean water, and average of (7 hours a day) 190 000 W each day. cooling the space
50 000 liters of grey water. underneath it.
Water pump needs 740W/h.

10. WATER FLOW DIAGRAM
EQUATORIAL UNDERCURRENT
Droplets
SOUTH EQUATORIAL CURRENT
SOUTH EQUATORIAL
COUNTER CURRENT
Cabinda
Liquid
Luanda
Malanje
HUMIDITY HARVESTING
Nets made from nylon mesh
ANGOLA CURRENT
ANGOLA DOME
Huambo
Gas
oriented towards the direction
Benguela
Lubango
Gas
ANGOLA BENGUELA
of the prevailing wind will catch
FRONT
about 50 % of the water par-
BENGUELA COASTAL
CURRENT
ticles in the humid air.
The nets perform best standing
vertical, elevated above the ur-
Liquid ban dwellings.
CONDENSATION
The water vapour rises as it is
LUANDA EVAPORATION warmer than the surrounding air. Air
Combination of currents wind, typography and an arid cli- Heat from the sun warms the surface of the water.Some becomes cooler at high altitudes.
mate makes Luanda ideal for humidity harvesting. particles of water change state, from a liquid to a gas, due to This cools the water vapour down
energy (or heat) from the sun.These particles, called water which causes it to change state back
Luanda lies on one of the driest parts of Angola. The city is vapour, then rise into the air. to a liquid. The water particles be-
pinned against the coast by a high range of cliffs and moun- gin to ‘stick’ to each other, forming
tains that separate the interior plateou from the ocean. clouds of droplets.
ACTIVE DRAIN
Receives water year Filter 1
round from the hu- Sand filter
midity cathers, and Filter 2
Large stones filter out larger obstacles.
WATER TOWER rainwater during wet
The water tower is a filter season.
station for water collected COLLECTION
from surrounding nets, the The water is collected
Filter
drain nerve and rain. for public use.
Water is here cleaned to
potable water, and the wa-
Fresh Water Tank
ter-point becomes a space
for social gathering.
Water from the drain
Fresh Water Outlet
is channeled towards
Manual Pump
Here water is pumped by the water tower for
the person purification.
Spill-Water
going into grey-water tank
underneath in order to be
reused STORM-WATER POCKET
A Receives rain-water duiring wet season, and holds
capacity for maximum amount of storm-water. The
Grey-Water Tank pocket change character in tact with the seasons,
B
and functions as a space for social gathering around
the usage of water.
Reuse C
Water is pumped back into
the storm-water pocket when
needed during dry season
Storm-Water Tank
Ground-Water Reserve
A. Rotation pump allows people to B. Wash basin when low water C. Vegetation pond Walking steps creating access Space for social gathering with
manually refill the wash basins and stand, and buffer when pocket is with purifying plants. to the vegetation ponds. dry steps when water is low.
irrigation fields with water from the filled to maximum during storm-rain.
storm-water tank when needed.