Exhibitor’s Stories
A SOURCE OF WATER AND SOCIAL COHESION
Although the United Nations has long recognised access to clean water as a human right, it remains a privilege for many. Multidisciplinary architectural firm Orient Occident Atelier (OOA), co-founded by Magic Kwan and Kenrick Wong, is dedicated to solving social issues, and particularly to providing affordable clean water for all. In a rural community in Cambodia, villagers today enjoy a reliable water supply thanks to the WaterHall in collaboration with a local non-governmental organization, PTD Cambodia, who have built a twin structure composed of a circular rainwater collection funnel that doubles as a community hall, and an adjacent building that houses a pump and a filter system. The WaterHall’s funnel roof collects water during the rainy months, and its pump draws fresh water from the nearby lake, so the villagers no longer have to drink toxic water from traditional jars contaminated by cement paste. Conveniently, the structure allows them to hold community events under the roof of the water collection system.
The building materials used for the WaterHall are widely available, a low-cost solution that can be repeated in other communities. The project team studied and adopted the local vernacular and crafts with the help of community members, and the simple structure was built by local craftspeople with local resources, and develops the concept of sustainability.
The WaterHall has become a social hub for more than a hundred families, and also provides a rather unlikely venue for gatherings, celebrations and community festivities. It solves many problems caused by severe drought, as well as others created by the environment and even certain traditional beliefs.
