Community Hall That Harvests Clean Drinking Water
Hong Kong architecture studio Orient Occident Atelier has designed a civic centre that harvests water for the small Cambodian village of Sneung (*Battambang?).
Called WaterHall, the 60-square-metre complex consists of two structures built in loose, honeycomb brickwork.
One building is entirely closed to the public in order to preserve the interior pump, which brings water in from a nearby lake using a system of underground pipes, and the water filtration system through which it is purified.
The other building is an open hall, with an inner and outer half-wall, and a concave metal roof supported by concrete pillars. This was designed to funnel rainwater into a traditional ceramic vessel at the centre of the structure.
Its concrete floor is recessed to create a kind of simplified amphitheatre that provides locals with a space for gatherings and community festivities.
