germinative infrastructure
community
urban community lacking water + natural access
location
San Francisco, California
Year
2021
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San Francisco’s aging water infrastructure not only shows deterioration in functionality as described by San Francisco’s Water Authority, but also reveals an antiquated system for delivering water. Currently, this requires expensive maintenance and gives no accountability in water resilience to local users. Germinative Topography puts forth an architecture intended to incorporate ideals of communal and decentralized treatment systems. This new neighborhood-specific integrated system would be deployed through an elevated topography where a more accessible water infrastructure is housed. Borrowing from rhizomatic plant networks, the extent and location of this new Germinative Topography is determined by the site’s specific current water needs and uses. Allowing this system to grow from one neighborhood into another gives feasibility to resiliency during long periods of infrastructural interruptions, while having the ability to remain independent when optimal. Germinative Infrastructure is a proposal seeking a more cohesive understanding of local water use through self treatment and larger redundancy structures.
Germinative Infrastructure proposes a new thinking regarding our interactions with water, reevaluating the archaic means of its transportation. This integrated network visibly shares foundations while giving space for social interaction, putting forth a more resilient and sustainable framework.
By elevating the structure, a more accessible water infrastructure becomes apparent to the public, while eliminating costs related to demolition of roads + structures. As water is brought into the social realm, elevated public responsibility and interaction with water consumed is highlighted. Rather than submerging an integral part of urban infrastructure, a platform is given, and new socially interactive spaces are carved out below. Relieving the ground level of concrete pipes, a localized sponge city mitigates the effects of heavy rainfall, all the while the platform above slows the flow of water, allowing more efficient capture.
By elevating the structure, a more accessible water infrastructure becomes apparent to the public, while eliminating costs related to demolition of roads + structures. As water is brought into the social realm, elevated public responsibility and interaction with water consumed is highlighted. Rather than submerging an integral part of urban infrastructure, a platform is given, and new socially interactive spaces are carved out below. Relieving the ground level of concrete pipes, a localized sponge city mitigates the effects of heavy rainfall, all the while the platform above slows the flow of water, allowing more efficient capture.
By elevating the structure, a more accessible water infrastructure becomes apparent to the public, while eliminating costs related to demolition of roads + structures. As water is brought into the social realm, elevated public responsibility and interaction with water consumed is highlighted. Rather than submerging an integral part of urban infrastructure, a platform is given, and new socially interactive spaces are carved out below. Relieving the ground level of concrete pipes, a localized sponge city mitigates the effects of heavy rainfall, all the while the platform above slows the flow of water, allowing more efficient capture.
A centralized infill building will be utilized as a neighborhood water filtration system. This particular site is capable of handling a large building that doubles as a fog catching center, where an estimated 250 gallons of water is trapped daily. By centralizing this center in the neighborhood, but de-centralizing the entire system, a more resilient network can be deployed.
Allowing the water infrastructure to reveal itself, a wider awareness for the resource is then coupled with on street bioswale filtration systems. Disused and underused vehicular space and underground infrastructure is then taken back by communities in need of parks and recreation. More local and decentralized water capturing towers are deployed throughout the neighborhood as a means of resilience.
