Excerpt: WaterHall, designed by Orient Occident Atelier, houses a pump and filter system that generates clean water for locals. Waterhall Project sustainably provides safe drinking water to underprivileged communities, whilst creating a social hub to garner social gatherings, celebrations and community festivities. Discovering and documenting local building technique and handicraft making methodologies was important during the design process, as it serves to inspire modern architecture.
Project Description
[Text as submitted by Architect] WaterHall Project, located in Sneung Village of Battambang in Cambodia, houses a pump and filter system that generates clean water for locals. This social project won the Hong Kong Institute of Architects community funding. Waterhall Project sustainably provides safe drinking water to underprivileged communities, whilst creating a social hub to garner social gatherings, celebrations and community festivities. Discovering and documenting local building technique and handicraft making methodologies was important during the design process, as it serves to inspire modern architecture.
Sneung is a remote village located in the outskirts of Battambang, which was previously ravaged by landmines in the Khmer Rouge era. The village uses a lake nearby and wells as its main water sources. This means that access to water is very unreliable, as the lake is dry for half of the year due to recurring droughts and floods caused by climate change, and wells are contaminated by pollution from nearby factories. Furthermore, the village is also affected by waste pollution caused by constant usages of plastic bottled water.
In order to alleviate the water shortage problem, our team raised funds and created the WaterHall Project. Water is collected from both natural rainfall and the nearby lake which is then filtered through the system, providing safe potable water for locals to collect and use. With the villagers able to use locally made.
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