Would population tripled in the 20th century while water use grown six-fold in the same period. Within the next fifty years, Long Beach’s population will increase by another 30%. This population growth, coupled with the commercial growth planned, will result in an even more drastic toll on water in the next fifty years. Unfortunately, even though the site has direct access to the LA River and the ocean, pollution within the area makes this source economically and environmentally unsuitable.
This project responds to this crisis through collecting water and cycling it through the building for reuse. The extension of the estuary into the building will also introduce natural habitats that naturally filters the water as it is collected, utilizing the logic of Living Machines. The net structure, which is nano-engineered to mimic the bumps on a Namid Desert Beetle, will collect fog in the naturally humid wetland environment indigenous to the site. The water will then naturally percolate into a reservoir lily pond, where excess water will further percolate down and replenish the local aquifers. For actual water supply, the water is pumped through a purifier underground and then through the building through a series of tubes expressed on the building skin and building interior.
Because of Long Beach’s association with Cal State Long Beach, student housing is supplied in this project for those interested in wetland ecologies and marine biology. Therefore, auxiliary program such as laboratories and other research facilities are also included. In addition, a recreational learning center is located in the bottom floors of the building, creating a lively and hybrid environment all around.