Vectys is not the specific design of a building, but the overall concept of incorporating wind turbines as elevators, structural columns, and other practical uses. It performs as a bridge between people and renewable energy in a world where sustainability is often seen as remote, technical, or only for engineers. As climate change continues to be one of the most pressing issues, renewable energy and sustainability deserve to be understood, and accessible to everyone. Vectys brings energy into daily life, showing its importance, inspiring engagement, and making sustainability visible for all.
Wind turbines don’t have to be distant, industrial machines. They can be integrated, functional, and even beautiful parts of our buildings. What if we embed turbines directly into structural columns, creating a seamless solution that produces energy without compromising architectural form or user experience.
The Kogwari community is located within HomaBay county, Kenya, near Lake Victoria. As climate change and extreme weather have become global issues, the communities access to clean water has drastically decreased. The Engineers Without Borders chapter at Howard University have been working with the Kogwari people to mitigate this issue through the implementation of a borehole well. We touched ground for the first time in May 2025, where we began the first of three phases of our project. Our expected completion date is Spring 2027.
PROPOSED BOREHOLE LOCATION ALTITUDE
POPULATION AGES PRIMARY USERS WATER DEMAND EXPECTED COMPLETION DATE
S 0.374485, E 34.564163 1170m
180 FAMILIES 0 - 88 WOMEN & CHILDREN 20m3/DAY
SPRING 2027
Project goals: Asses land, design and implement solarized borehole well system with filtration to provide accessible clean water to
Mediums: Illustrator, Photoshop, Excel, Data collection/ testing tools
LET’S CONNECT! EMAIL
rachelolamaxwell@gmail.com
linkedin.com/in/rachel-maxwell-ewb-aias0947a12b7
RESUME:
