Inspired by nature – a win to fight global water scarcity

In this context, GROHE was proud to once again award the annual Water Research Prize to projects aiming at finding creative solutions for water in the built environment. This year’s award went to Techlab laboratory and its “Aquasorbent Façade”. Inspired by the Namib desert beetle, the research team designed a façade using honeycomb-like modules which absorb and use moisture in the air to reach indoor thermal comfort. Designed with peaks and troughs on their surface the modules help retain water molecules from the air. The collected water will be stored in vertical tanks embedded in the façade on every storey. By adjusting the modules according to the optimal rainfall angle of every region, collecting water from both humidity and rainfall conditions will be possible in all climates around the world. The jury was delighted by this unique solution which tackles water scarcity around the globe. “This innovative project tackles water scarcity and I particularly loved the inspiration directly taken from nature,” said Stefan Schmied, Leader, Business Unit Projects, LIXIL EMENA. Paul Finch, Programme Director of the World Architecture Festival added: “All the judges appreciated the inspiration and application of this nano–technology that could help solve the lack of water in stressed areas of the planet.”

The Water Research Prize has been part of World Architecture Festival since 2017, when the WAF X Manifesto was first published. The manifesto identified the most important challenges for architects within the next ten years, including water in relation to the built environment. With this year’s festival focusing on the improvement of the quality of life in urban areas through greener, healthier infrastructures, the close connection to water is particularly striking. By sponsoring the award, GROHE has been supporting research in the field of unique architectural challenges around water for the past four years and is proud to continue doing so at this year’s festival.

A virtual venue loaded with content

The digital edition of the festival was available exclusively via the WAF app. By purchasing a digital pass, participants were granted access to 50 digital crit rooms and the largest amount of content in the history of the festival. GROHE has exclusive access to the festival content via its digital brand platform, GROHE X.

For further information and press material, please see this link.

Discover more of GROHE’s sponsorship and the WAF on our digital experience platform grohe-x.com.

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