Atelier(s) Alfonso Femia AF517

Water is present even when it is invisible, it is a resource in constant dialogue with the planet.

The Adrar project, in the Algerian red desert, demanded us an in-depth study given the exceptional place it was situated in.

Feelings were our starting point in finding the location, getting to know the history surrounding it, understanding the possible ways of living in this unique and specific context, of how we could protect it through a dialogue with nature that would not go against it but simply seek its control, keeping in mind the beauty of the oasis.

In this way, we decided to design a “water chain” capable of managing, collecting, and channeling water to create a dynamic and optimized system. The depth of the basins and the connecting channels were sized to support the phenomena of evaporation when useful to control the microclimate, while in the sections where this was not necessary, the system was designed to reduce waste and minimize maintenance.

“Water is depth.
It rises from underground to reach the surface and bring life on Earth.” AF