Backyard Aqueduct

Instructor:  Piergianna Mazzocca 

The presence/absence of water in the form of pools marks the social class of a neighborhood in Phoenix. The project aims at utilizing water as a catalyst for gathering and interaction instead of a segregation indicator.

Developed as a system, the testing ground for the project is a neighborhood in South Mountain, Phoenix. The project transforms the underused backyard passageways to a linear park and introduces water to the otherwise arid neighborhood. In the system, backyard walls embody the structures of the garden, and they provide shade and promote air movement. Gutters between the walls collect and distribute rainwater to support public gardens. The plants therefore store the water and emit moisture to cool off their surroundings. With improved thermal comfort, the passageways become extension of individual backyards and tie the community together as a new public space.

Because the soil in Phoenix has a high content of clay, and the city has a long history of adobe brick production and construction, the project will be constructed with adobe bricks in a standard size of 4x8x16. The bricks are laid in various ways to create curves, openings and screens for the wall to incorporate plants. The dimensions of these openings are determined by the typical mature size of the plants they are paired with. Plants are selected based on the amount of water they need and the seasons of flower. Sun angles and wind directions are referenced to calibrate the height of the walls and the rotations of the brick