A Community-Built Fog Catcher Promotes Eco-Friendly Urban Agriculture In Colombia
The collected water can then be used for irrigation in the greenhouse, promoting urban agriculture and creating an ideal microclimate for plant growth.
Design Boom
name: A Community-built Fog Catcher
designer: Alsar Atelier & Oscar Zamora
community design team: Caesar Salomon, Edison Plazas, Nelson Gomez, and Diego Reyran
location: Bogotá, Colombia
Excerpt:
Posing a sustainable alternative model for such methods that typically use brick and concrete, the fog catcher can be completed without specialist knowledge or machinery and is shaped by gauge steel frames draped in a white fabric that collects water from air through its facade and a system of PVC tubes. In doing so, the project has not only empowered local community members, but has also inspired positive social change, making it a model for other informal neighborhoods worldwide.
This community-built prototype has become a landmark in the San Luis neighborhood, empowering local community members, giving visibility to the project’s participants, and bringing about positive change. Requiring no specialist constructive knowledge for its assembly, the project has provided an opportunity for the community to learn new building techniques that promote sustainability without the use of heavy machinery or concrete.
Moreover, by promoting urban agriculture and reducing the community’s dependence on municipal water sources, Alsar Atelier has helped to improve food security and access to clean water, while also inspiring people to take action and come up with their innovative solutions to address the challenges faced by the community.
