RPI Oya and Justin

Recognition

The Sustainable Canopy design emerged from the idea that services make a village recognized both graphically and in relation to other cities/villages. The basic utilities, electricity and water, supplied to a city such as Ein-Hud is an interesting problem from and Architectural point of view. Torn between two enemies, the Arabs and Palestinians continue to fight in a seamless, never-ending battle for territory. In addition, its climate and soil condition make Ein-Hud a place for extreme living and prosperity.
With the Mediterranean Sea nearby, the idea of a portable and sustainable design with desalination and electrical generation can serve the community on a need by need basis. However, the threat of attack and maintenance of the portable design was too high. The idea of providing services must emerge from a fixed system with thoughts on security and sustainability. This system yielded the design, a canopy.

Technology

A canopy can serve many functions. For instance, it can provide protection, rain diversion, and solar electric supply. There are four ways which implement the triangular spaces of the canopy. First, leave the space open which can allow natural lighting to penetrate into the space beneath. Second, use a translucent fabric that gives off an ambient glow of natural light as well as provide shading. Third, provide a system of rigid panels which aid in diverting rainwater to a central point, where it can be collected for later use. Finally, place a thin layer or 1” thick layer of photovoltaic to provide electricity for the building beneath.

Structure

This idea had a notion of lightweight and ease of construction. Aluminum was the main material of the system of interlocking “Umbrella’s”. The grid system is based n a system of equilateral triangles. The connections of the pipes are flexible with rubber discs. Every other disc in series has a telescoping pole from 20’ to 40’, which adjusts the height of the canopies area. The full flexibility of the system creates a dynamic platform which collects water and adjusts to obtain maximum exposure to sunlight.

Well…..

Overall, the Canopy System is an interesting not only mechanically but architecturally in an area which has seen much destruction. Although the city does not resemble to be of great importance or wealth, this system can encourage growth for poor communities by adding on more modular spaces to the canopy so Ein-Hud can expand. Also, the physical buildings themselves do not have to be constructed of great materials. Coverage and a sense of protection is existent through the canopy.