‘Warka Water One’ is the first of a series of projects initiated in 2012 and conceived for rural villages that are not served by infrastructures and where women and children walk several hours everyday to collect water. The name of the project ‘Warka’ comes from the Warka Tree, which is a giant wild fig tree native to Ethiopia. It constitutes a very important part of the local culture and ecosystem by providing its fruit and a gathering place for the community.
WW is a passive and low-tech 9 m tall structure constituted mainly by a bamboo framework and a customized perforated fabric hanging inside and capable to collect potable water from the atmosphere (rain, fog and dew). The lightweight structure is designed with parametric computing, but can be built with local skills and materials by the village inhabitants and owned and operated by them, a key factor that should help guarantee the success of the project. WW not only provides a fundamental resource for life – water – but also creates a social place for the community, where people can gather under the shade of its canopy for education and public meetings.