Rainstop - rain shelter, collector & dispenser

Almost categorically modern roofs are designed to direct water away from the building, which seems reasonable and does have a certain elegance. On second thought, what a huge waste of energy and an even bigger waste of water!

This design started out merely as a humble bench-roof hybrid intended to mimic a certain brand of similar Soviet era urban artifacts. Things did not go very smoothly, I started having major trouble getting the roof "right". I just had one personalized x-factor gene that I wanted to insert: specifically some passive mechanism that could harness the power of the rain to some end. This is in line with my current philosophy of always killing as many birds as possible with each stone.

Ultimately it was the quirky upturned roof design fancied by soviet architects of the era (no doubt inspired by the dynamic styles pioneered in the US during the 1950s & 60s) that inspired me to "reverse" the roof - I realized that by turning it into a cone rather than a pyramid, I could effectively channel all the rainwater right into the hollow core. Naturally the addition of a spigot at the bottom would allow people to dispense this water at their leisure.

The rest of the design just flowed from there.

Notes:

Rainwater is typically safe to drink (unless you live in a big city or industrial area), before the industrial revolution is was common for families to collect runoff in "rain barrels". This water could then be used for numerous purposes, including quenching your thirst.

The whole design must be constructed from Stainless Steel (including the filters) which possesses excellent antibacterial properties and corrosion resistance. Aluminum doesn't have the tensile strength to support the weight of the roof.

The measurements are accurate within 1%, the "tank" holds over 50 Liters of water. There are two passive filtration mechanisms: first a coarse "leaf grate" that protects the tank from most large debris. Then a second fine screen (not pictured) that is fitted below the grate. These are the only two parts of the design that need regular maintenance (clearing).

For the spigot I created a unique "Moiré Valve" that utilizes Moiré patterns in order to control the flow of water (may detail in another video). This kind of valve is far more robust than normal ball or needle valves; it will not clog or jam, provides a highly secure seal and can withstand a great deal of abuse.

Category:

Science & Technology

Tags:

• Rainstop
• Rainwater
• Tank
• Rain
• shelter
• collector
• dispenser
• innovation
• innovative
• Moiré
• Valve
• efficient
• efficiency
• Stainless
• Steel
• Urban
• Artifact
• Architecture
• Green
• Technology
• Sustainability
• Natural
• Resources
• Concept
• Design