The world is running short of freshwater.
With agriculture accounting for some 70% of all water used, the shortage is closely linked to food production. The provision of clean water is a pre-condition to life, health and economic development and the lack of water in many parts of the world is the root cause of much suffering and poverty. Present methods of supply in arid regions include: over-abstraction from ground reserves, diverting water from other regions and energy intensive desalination. None of these methods are sustainable in the long term and inequitable distribution leads to conflict.
The Green Desert Tower
The Green Desert Tower
The objective of the Green Desert Tower is to develop and deploy an integrated, large-scale system for production of freshwater, energy, biomass and ecosystem services on a significant scale.
The inputs are simple: Nutrients, sunlight and seawater.
The processes integrated into the tower will work optimally under sunny and arid conditions. The unique benefit of the system arises synergistically from the integration of proven technologies, such as: The Seawater Greenhouse, Solar Power and the extraction of nutrients from seawater.
Elements and Compositions
1 Exoskeleton structure
The building is composed by an exoskeleton structural network through genetic algorithm design; which integrated together with external Solar Thermal Tubes for seawater evaporation processes.
2 Internal superstructure and air humidifier
Air humidifier will be use to cool and humidify greenhouses and to convert sufficient humidity back in to freshwater to irrigate the crops and reduces lost of humidity.
3 Spiral helical slab for continuous vertical irrigation
The seawater greenhouse will be placed in zones controlled spiral helical slab. Any additional fresh water from irrigation will be run off to the next level until reaches the ground level oasis to achieve minimal water wastage.
4 Base structure, lift shaft and services core for reverse osmosis
Each independent structure came together in a unique building core to serve as the backbone of the Green Desert tower.
5 Observation platforms and agriculture services layers
A series of levels are developed within the structure, each having one or few function and typologies of spaces. Form visitors, farmers and maintenance engineers.
6 ETFE building skin with integrated PV panels
Production of energy - Under the ETFE facade large surface are covered with PV panels, the presence of ETFE improves by 20% the capacity production of the solar PV panels.