RainBellows Biomimicry Solution

Project Title: RainBellows Biomimicry Solution
Landscape Architect: Weber Thompson
Category: Category V - Analysis and Planning
Location: Seattle, WA
Description: RainBellows is a conceptual design for the storage of stormwater in the urban environment using biomimicry. Inspired by the form and function of the Ice Plant, Mesembryanthemum crystallinum, RainBellows optimizes the building's skin to clean and store urban rainfall onsite. Traditionally a site's stormwater is sent to a storm outfall or a municipal's sewage treatment system. RainBellows diverts the rainfall - collecting, filtering, and storing the water through the increased functionality of the building membrane. The water is used for irrigation, significantly decreasing the use of potable water. The design is applied to a highly-sustainable commercial building in Seattle. The goal was to integrate additional function into the project using essential building materials as well as a methodology that could be replicated in future projects. The Ice Plant cellular structure provided the inspiration of filtering, storing, and reusing water through the distinctive layers of the plant. RainBellows illuminates a methodology and the viability for using nature as a basis for design. 

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