2009.10 Rain Water
October 22, 2009The rain (along with gorgeous fall colors) brings inspiration! I am recalling all of the ways I have used it in design throughout the years.
A recent rainwater harvesting workshop brings me back to my love of steadily available water sources we have here in Portland to USE rather than lament. Rain surely is a blessing in disguise. Currently I am working on a project in which my client is excited about the artistic side of rain water. In this project, we will be exposing the rain water for all that it is worth, using metal forms to track the water from the (single) gutter of the roof to a series of channels which will run throughout the garden to drain to a sunken garden (retention pond). We are choosing materials which will handle the water nicely and look really interesting even when it is not raining.
There might even be opportunity for a green roof. Speaking of green roofs, how I wish I could visit some of the ones I have worked on in the past that are not open to the public! The Portland Building in particular would be fun to visit, for there was no ballast!! While I visited it for inspection it felt like you could just fly over Portland. So much fun to have work on a roof top! (Image from Macdonald Environmental Planning)
Beyond green roofs I have worked with schools to develop educational systems for students and public awareness through other educational systems. These were some of the most exciting projects to have been a part of. The possibilities of rainwater harvesting are endless and I love knowing we have just scratched the surface of it’s potential. Although it is an age old practice, there is still so much to learn of it’s integration into modern day architecture.
