Building for Water in the Sky

Dear to Back to Tap’s heart is the issue of pollution from water delivery services, as building design evolves to reflect new technological capabilities, and as people seek to re-connect with the concrete world around them, water is certain to play a role. Already, celebrity architects are incorporating water into buildings in exciting ways, and the next step will be the adoption of creative water designs for everyday use.

In Singapore, as buildings rise skyward, so do parks and water features, with the Sands Skypark perched 57 stories above the ground. If humans are going to continue expanding skywards, water must always accompany them.

Rendering of Sands Skypark by Safdie Architects. Courtesy of Marina Bay Sands.

Moving from the monumental architectural use of water by architects from Frank-Lloyd Wright to Zaha Hadid, designers are now thinking about water systems at the household level. Designs for porous concrete, green roofs, grey water recycling systems, and innovative irrigation systems are changing the way we use, recycle and dispose of water.

Artist's impression of Dubai fountains, by Emaar