The Vessel Type Water Management

The Vessel Type design is grounded in the principle of ecocentrism. It responds to the survival challenges faced by a small village in western Madagascar, where seasonal droughts and floods threaten both daily life and agriculture. Inspired by the need to collect, store and distribute rainwater sustainably, the design integrates with the land’s topography to serve both as infrastructure and cultural landmark. It functions as a vessel that collects surface runoff during the wet season, filters it using a rural sand and gravel filtration technique, and stores it in a water bank for use during the dry season. Beyond water infrastructure, the design creates communal spaces for engagement, reflection, and play - reinforcing a social and ecological network that supports equity and long-term resilience.

The main focus of The Vessel Type was to address the urgent need for a sustainable water system in a region facing extreme seasonal changes. The goal was to create a structure that not only captures and stores rainwater but also empowers the local community through equitable access to resources. By integrating water infrastructure with communal spaces, the design aims to support agricultural resilience, reduce social frictions, and promote collective engagement. Ultimately, the intention was to transform a survival challenge into an opportunity for ecological and social renewal through architecture.

As a conceptual project, The Vessel Type serves as a speculative proposal that explores how architecture can respond to ecological and social crises through integrated design. The future plan is to further develop the concept as a framework for dialogue, inviting discussions on sustainable infrastructure, climate resilience, and community-driven design. While it is not currently intended for construction, the design can inspire future research, collaborations and adaptations in regions facing similar environmental challenges. The goal is to continue evolving the idea as a catalyst for rethinking how architecture can embody both functionality and cultural meaning.

The idea began with a question: Can architecture act as both civic infrastructure and cultural vessel? In regions increasingly affected by climate volatility, alternating between drought and flood, I saw an opportunity to design a typology that stores and manages rainwater while also serving human gathering and rest.Early research focused on vernacular precedents: stepped wells in India, Chinese water gardens, and indigenous cistern systems. These informed the conceptual shift; from hiding infrastructure underground to elevating it as a public space. The form evolved as an inhabitable container: a structure that channels rain, filters it through layers of landscape, and stores it beneath.Community use was embedded from the start. I imagined a place where water becomes both resource and ritual where seasonal change is experienced, not abstracted. Through iterations, the project balanced hydrological performance with spatial poetics, allowing for both measurable sustainability and cultural resonance.

The inspiration came from observing how communities in Madagascar live in close relationship with their environment, where survival depends on adapting to extreme seasonal shifts. During the rainy season, excess water overwhelms infrastructure, while in the dry season, scarcity threatens crops and daily life. This dual reality sparked a desire to create a structure that not only responds to these changes, but transforms with them.Rather than resist nature, I wanted to design something that works with it - an architecture that holds water when it is abundant and shares it when it is scarce. I studied traditional ecological knowledge and local materials, which offered insight into time-tested ways of collecting and storing water. From there, the design became a vessel in every sense: a container, a space, and a symbol of resilience. It adapts not only physically with the seasons, but also socially, becoming a space where people gather, rest, and remember their connection to the land.

The combination of concrete and wood was intentional, reflecting both environmental strategy and cultural resonance. Concrete provides the structural durability needed to withstand seasonal floods and store large volumes of water over time. It grounds the vessel, offering permanence and resistance in a volatile climate.Wood, on the other hand, brings flexibility, warmth, and a connection to local craft traditions. It is used in the upper and more human-scaled components where touch, gathering, and adaptation occur. Wood elements can be repaired or modified by the community, allowing the structure to evolve with their needs. This balance between permanence and adaptability supports long-term sustainability by reducing maintenance demands while enabling cultural ownership.By combining materials in this way, the project speaks both to endurance and intimacy that building trust through familiarity while offering resilience through strength. It becomes not just a piece of infrastructure, but a living part of the Ambalorao community.