Image:Shaakira Jassat
SA-born designer develops innovative rainwater harvesting technology
The Aquatecture rain harvesting panel, which looks like a giant cheese grater, could be the invention to save Africa from drought.
Image:Shaakira Jassat
The Aquatecture rain-harvesting panels – designed by a South African – would enable people in drought-stricken areas to ‘catch’ their own water.
The Aquatecture rain harvesting panel collects water by diverting raindrops flowing over the perforations on the surface to the inside of the system.
From there the water trickles down into a collection tank where it can either be stored for later use or can be pumped back into a building’s greywater system.
The panel is also currently being developed to harvest moisture from the atmosphere.
SA-born designer
Aquatecture is the brainchild of South African born designer Shaakira Jassat.
Although she lives in the Netherlands now, Jassat witnessed Cape Town’s devastating drought when she attended the Cape Town Design Indaba as a speaker in 2018.
She was determined to design a rain harvester that was compact and aesthetically suited to the urban environment, which is now the Aquatecture panel.
“ The drought was quite intense. I couldn’t imagine what it was like to go through. I was at the time getting toward graduation in the Netherlands and wanted to do something about it. So, I asked myself if there was no water coming out of my tap what would I do? How can I create something meaningful and change the situation that we are in?”
Inspirational glance
A glance through the window one afternoon lent a moment of inspiration.
“I thought if it’s raining outside and if I had something on my balcony to collect water that would be so cool. I could use it to water my plants or use it to drink…To be able to wait for a drop of water brings me right back to the week I spent to almost day zero. In Cape Town. We almost never had it.”
Manufactured from aluminium, the panels are resistant to corrosion and can be installed on the exterior of buildings or they can be used as freestanding units in areas with more open space.
The V&A Waterfront will be among the first companies in South Africa to test a highly innovative new design in rainwater harvesting technology.
They will be tested at the Granger Bay parking garage over the next two years, and all water collected will be used at the Oranjezicht City Farm Market.
Rainfall data specific to the area will be collected during the testing period and measured against weather variables, for example, the direction of rain, wind, and the amount of rain that fell during each period.
The panels will also be tested for efficiency and impact on the surrounding environment.
V&A Waterfront CEO David Green said the V&A Waterfront has been at the forefront of water saving in Cape Town since 2009.
“Saving water is now an integral part of every development and of our overall sustainability programme. In addition to rainwater harvesting, the Aquatecture panels are also compact and visually appealing so they will integrate well into most urban architectures.”
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