the detail
experiential details
A “water track” throughout the building, captures flood water and orchestrates its movement as the house acts as a drain. The interior environment shifts in response to exterior conditions, removing barriers even within the home to strengthen connections to the changing waterline. These water design moments not only amplify pre-existing water interactions, but create new ones in unexpected locations - forcing people to rethink what should be dry or wet, inside or outside, protected or a redefined boundary.
Repurpose infrastructural materials at contrasting scales, employing materials to allow flooding and temporal material decay. Implementing large-scale infrastructural materials at the detail scale in intimate and juxtaposing ways questions the role of flood infrastructure at the personal level. Heighten intimacy with protective infrastructure through industrial textures in unexpected moments.
stairs
water-fall stairs
water-logged stairs
spatial divisions
room separation
ceiling separation
household furniture
furniture integration
fur niture relocation
railings
piped railings
cor roded pipes
thresholds
fluid threshold
blocked threshold
seating
hanging couch
sand bag couch
mantle piece
misty mantle piece
moldy mantle piece sinks
cascading sink
overflowing sink
exposed pipes
translucent pipes
br oken pipes
stairs
stream water below stairs and through piped railings, cascading into reflecting pools below; mimic the movement of people descending downwards, to pool in a more public area such as a living room, foyer, lobby, or common area
spatial divisions
partition rooms with waterfall screens, especially in more public spaces; increase flow of water to create higher opacity and gentle water noises when additional privacy is desired
household furniture
bring water movement to unexpected places that are typically seen as dry by utilizing incline planes and integrated tracks; texture material to create laminar or turbulent flows
thresholds
expose the flow of water throughout the building, particularly along the base of walls; create bridges with steps aligned with the water level at points of entry or room access
seating
hang seating on retractable cables, adaptively lifting to hover just above the water line as flooding intensifies; wear hightopped rain boots inside
mantle piece
display water flowing through the chimney as a waterfall feature cascading into a shallow reflecting pool surrounding the mantle piece; enjoy the soothing sounds emanating from the mantle piece while a gentle mist cools the surrounding space
railings
use translucent pipes as handrails or shower rods throughout the building; create visual connections with the flow of water in expected (shower) and unexpected (stairway) places
sink
stream water out of an elegant faucet onto a basin-less stone plinth protruding from the wall with minimal splashing; angle the stone gently towards the user, allowing the water to flow off the counter and into the reflecting pool below; maintain an inch of still water in the floor basin, reflecting light and shadows from bathroom tiles
pipes
expose water pipes, drawing them out of the walls; sculpt them to morph between décor and functional furniture, while simultaneously continuing to transport water throughout the home; maintain an industrial aesthetic that allows people to see and hear the water’s movement and fluctuating flows
piped handrail attached to wall, typ.
water track along wall
concrete backsplash
outwardly sloped water track stone-lined reflecting pool
steps, wall-supported with visual gap between each bottom landing with recessed supports, gives illusion of floating
water-fall stairs
stream water below stairs and through piped railings, cascading into reflecting pools below; mimic the movement of people descending downwards, to pool in a more public area such as a living room, foyer, lobby, or common area
stairways
elegant vs. expedient
water-logged stairs
place sandbags on each subsequent step to protect against further water damage as the first floor of a house floods; accept the prevalence of wood rot and mold until the house can be drained and rebuilt with a flood gate or other floodable ground floor material
spatial divisions
elegant | experiential
double height space clerestory window, casts light/shadow on waterfall
recessed reflecting pool
passage walkway over water, recessed for floating illusion
water condenser track continued connection to building water track water-resistant materials in areas prone to splashing
room separation
partition rooms with waterfall screens, especially in more public spaces; increase flow of water to create higher opacity and gentle water noises when additional privacy is desired
spatial divisions
elegant vs. expedient
ceiling separation
patch seepage with water-resistant materials to reduce mold, rot, and the disintegration of crucial structure; accept the removal of divisions between rooms, both adjacent and above, walls and floors are stripped out to be reconstructed
textured incline plane, water trickles down water spigot adjacent window, casts light/shadow on waterfall reflecting pool, connects through main water track bookshelf, or other furniture
furniture integration
bring water movement to unexpected places that are typically seen as dry by utilizing incline planes and integrated tracks; texture material to create laminar or turbulent flows
household furniture
elegant vs. expedient
furniture relocation
sacrifice the use of lower levels of cabinets and bookshelves as their contents are soaked; salvage what is possible and move them to higher shelves or place on makeshift coffee tables made of sandbags and old shipping palettes
piped railings
use translucent pipes as handrails or shower rods throughout the building; create visual connections with the flow of water in expected (shower) and unexpected (stairway) places
railings
elegant vs. expedient
corroded pipes prepare for the possibility of serious leaks, as recaptured flood water is not clean enough to be used throughout the house, leading to corrosion and dirt
lined with water-proof material
recessed water track
pavers 1” above water line, typ. door at threshold water flows under door into next room, continues along recessed water track
fluid threshold
expose the flow of water throughout the building, particularly along the base of walls; create bridges with steps aligned with the water level at points of entry or room access
blocked threshold block doors with sandbags to prevent water seepage as much as possible; know that water flowing underneath the doorway without proper waterproofing within will cause serious flood damage, mold, and rot; find alternate entrances into the home as this will render the threshold unusable
thresholds
elegant vs. expedient
all fixtures and furniture to be hung
cables attach to ceiling track
retractable cables
water flooded below couch hangs above water line rainboots worn inside extended water-resistant baseboards
hanging couch
hang seating on retractable cables, adaptively lifting to hover just above the water line as flooding intensifies; wear high-topped rain boots inside
sand bag couch
redefine everyday living through continual barriers and haphazard elevation with sandbags at hand
mantle piece elegant | experiential
furniture placed 5’-0” away to feel gentle mist
misty mantle piece display water flowing through the chimney as a waterfall feature cascading into a shallow reflecting pool surrounding the mantle piece; enjoy the soothing sounds emanating from the mantle piece while a gentle mist cools the surrounding space
moldy mantle piece relocate important items and haphazardly repair walls, as water flowing through the chimney causes rot and mold to seep through the dry wall, flooding the living room floor and deteriorating the structural integrity of the building
inclined sink slab
wall drainage
ceiling-height backsplash tiling reflecting pool water cascades off plinth
cascading sink
softly stream water out of an elegant faucet onto a basin-less stone plinth protruding from the wall with minimal splashing; angle the stone gently towards the user, allowing the water to flow off the counter and into the reflecting pool below; slant the pool towards the wall, allowing the pooled water to drain back into the primary water system; even at times when the sink is not being used, maintain an inch of still water in the floor basin, reflecting light and shadows from bathroom tiles
sinks
elegant vs. expedient
overflowing sink
overflow the sink basin and accidentally flood the bathroom when the faucet cannot turn off; watch dirty water uncontrollably drip down the edges of the stained porcelain sink, pooling on the floor, and rotting the drywall with mold
water supply connection
exposed floor slab
transluscent water supply pipe railing
hot water supply pipe accent
translucent pipes expose water pipes, drawing them out of the walls; sculpt them to morph between décor and functional furniture, while simultaneously continuing to transport water throughout the home; maintain an industrial aesthetic that allows people to see and hear the water’s movement and fluctuating flows
exposed pipes
elegant vs. expedient
broken pipes turn the faucet, placing extra torque on the exposed pipes to immediately spring leaks, shooting water throughout the room and further destroying the surrounding dry wall and furnishings; attempt to replace pipes with stronger materials or patch with duct tape as exposed pipes are not strong enough to handle the day to day wear and tear of use
