In an area where the influx of water is a problem, these solutions for water redistribution explore possibilities of a top-down approach to dealing with flood water. This idea stems from a statement in Polyvalent Infrastructures by Matthew Johnson, “Nimble solutions rather than a massive approach to infrastructure”.

The goal of this project is to slow the eventual flow of water towards the city’s pumping stations (using volume and greenspace) thus making them more reliable. This idea can be replicated in other buildings in the city to create a more impactful solution. Rainwater will go through three buffers (the building geometry, permeable pavement, greenspace in the area) before arriving to the final destination of the pumping stations.

An obsolete church located in the 7th Ward of New Orleans, Louisiana is reimagined as a theater for the community. It features a collective roof structure that explores ideas of structure, volume and flow. The design keeps the idea of the existing roof geometry, but manipulates the form by inverting it to allow for water capture. The perforated roof panel becomes a performance in the space itself as the sun moves through the interior.