After observing the drought conditions of her native country of South Africa, designer Shaakira Jassat has created a rain-catcher that is slim enough to fit on the outside of buildings in dense urban environments. Dubbed the Aquatechture panel, this device is designed to collect rainwater as it trickles over the openings in the structure before pumping it into a building’s grey-water system.
The designer, who is now based in the Netherlands, noted that while water-harvesting equipment such as rainwater tanks are a familiar presence in rural environments, that is generally not the case in cities, where space is at a premium.
Her design would allow urban residents to sustain their own needs by channelling rainwater into the building’s grey-water system, where it can be recycled along with the wastewater from sinks, washing machines, and other appliances.
