The “Urban Alliance” is a mixed-use architectural design seamlessly integrating Industry 4.0 principles, featuring advanced photovoltaic production units. This visionary space harmoniously combines sustainable energy practices with residential and commercial areas, embodying a forward-thinking urban landscape that fosters eco-friendly living and innovative business practices. It exemplifies a holistic and tech-driven approach to urban planning. The project is located in Sant Adrià de Besos, Barcelona. Sant Adrià de Besos is predominantly an industrial zone with minimal high rise buildings placed in its context, as well as scarce natural vegetation. The aim of the Metabolic Building Systems – Water course is to generate a design that is climatically coherent using passive design strategies making the overall scheme a self sufficient project.
Zones
Water Input and Output
The design process for the water course started with calculating the water consumption as per the different utility zones. After calculating the maximum occupancy across our site and values derived from global water consumption standards we calculated the total water consumption on our site. Further research gave us consumption of water in Barcelona, to which our water saving strategies were then applied to. Each zone was calculated based on the consumption of inputted potable water and recycled water in litres/person/day. These numbers were utilised to calculate the grey-water and black-water output of the entire building.
System Design
The initial water consumption on site occurs through the use of municipal potable water. This municipal water consumption is reduced by 57% by devising a recycle system of both grey-water and black-water. Used water or Grey/Black-water is treated through a bio-filter and sewage treatment plant to obtain reusable water. This recycled water is used in the built form and vegetated spaces for WCs, Green house irrigation, Landscape irrigation, and other miscellaneous uses.
The diagrams below shows an overview of the water management system of our building:
Grey-water Treatment
To maximize water re-use on the site, a bio-filter using natural vegetation with the support of a gravity flow filter serves our needs. The treatment system has the capability of cleaning grey-water to sanitary levels of WCs, irrigation and miscellaneous uses.
Vegetation for Bio-Filter
Black-water Treatment
To maximize water re-use on the site, a sewage treatment plant aids our needs along with the grey-water bio-filter. The treatment system has the capability of cleaning black-water to sanitary levels of WCs, irrigation and miscellaneous uses.
Water Efficient Appliances
Using modern water-efficient appliances, we further reduce the amount of water consumption compared to standard appliances.
Final Numbers
Based on the calculation and bylaws we estimate a 57% reduction in potable water consumption. This 57% is achieved through recycling grey and black water. Of the 57% savings 65% of the recycled water is grey-water and 35% of the recycled water is black water. This recycled water is used for WCs, Greenhouse irrigation, landscape irrigation and miscellaneous uses.
