Solar Well in Senegal, West African Architecture, Water Resource Design Africa Images
Solar Well in Senegal
Contemporary West African Architecture design by Raoul Vecchio Architect
7 Jan 2019
Design: Raoul Vecchio Architect
Location: Sambacounda village, Senegal, Africa
Solar Well
Senegal Solar Well
The architecture surrounds the well to protect and give value to the water resource. The design is light and delicate, in strong relation with the natural context. Walls don’t create a closed space, but they include the context in the interior space. A system of wooden beams obtained with a local essence, is achieved by overlapping elements bolted to reach the necessary light (6 meters).
The beams aims to perceptively protect the internal space that becomes a place for socializing and meditation, but also to create an evocative play of shadows. We want to reverse the image of the well, which is no longer the place to “take the water and go away”, but a space in which to stop and get to know the resource to enhance it. The well is not covered, because the filtering system is capable of eliminating any polluting element.
The flooring is covered by a mat normally used to delimit the prayer spaces or the intimate spaces of the houses. The installation of the mat has created a form of respect for the well space, which is therefore also used as a place of prayer. To accentuate this spiritual role on the floor, a slight sign has been created that indicates the direction of the Quibla, being the Muslim population.
A series of layers of natural materials delimit the structure at the floor, creating a hierarchy of spaces that lead to contemplation and reflection on what you are going to take: water. The architectural intent is the optimization and enhancement of the water resource. The walls and wooden beams create a play of shadows on the well and in the studio that changes continuously throughout the day, just as the white color of the walls reflects the natural light of the sky. Architecture changes with the natural context, it is never the same.
Sambacounda is a small village located in the region of Sedhiou (Senegal), of among 900 inhabitants, close to Kegnimacounda e Boukarkounda villages The area has just few wells, digged in with rural methods and not reaching the underground layer, empting out rapidly and causing serious problems on hydrical providing.
More, the salt-intrusion phenomenon caused an acidification and contamined the underground soil and layer resulting in contamined and salted reservoirs. Children and older people are the most endangered with a 60% of illnesses due to contamined water with a high risk for infections, giardasis and cholera.
The project aims to dig a modern reservoir reaching the underground layer to provide water at any time to Sambacounda and surrounding villages, equipped with an solar-supplied immersion pump and a desalination osmotic system decontamining and preventing from bacteria and viruses through UV ray, so providing high quality water. That will be also a chance to put more responsibility on communities about hydrical resources and gather a local team for the maintenance of filtering system. We estimate to reach about 3.000 individuals coming from Sambacounda and surrounding villages. This system represents an absolute technological innovation for the whole country of Senegal, an Humanitarian model aimed to promote water access, being that a primary resource for children’s life and wealth.
Positive impact The well Balouo Salo represents a referring point for hydrical providing for its realization technology, considered the lack of water in existing wells and their evanescent building methods. Thanks to its depth of 17 metres ( different from traditional ones of 5-7 mts) the well reaches the underground layer where mostly flows waters with higher quality level due to the flow itself and not coming from stagnant ones. Layer’s presence is a primary feature in preventing water during dry season, differently form other wells reaching undergound deposits. Water is extracted thanks to a 24V liftingimmersion pump supplied by two solar panels of 80W each, adding to its abundance coming from the simple reach of the layer.
The system will send water on cycles (calibrated on communities usage) through a decontamination programme organized with the folloqing sequence: UV sterilisation -> sand filter -> osmotic filter. The filter cleans any deposit, but most of all from bacteria and viruses, desalining and providing high quality water. Once depurated, it is gathered and kept in two covered reservoirs in the shadow and prevented from alterations, being accessible at any time. Thanks to this programme communities and families will drink potable and safe water; pregnant women, older people and children in particular are the most affected subjects from viruses spread by old reservoir deposits. The reservoir is featured by architecturals elements underlining its Iconic character and valorizing water matter, creating a social meeting point all around it.
Solar Well, Senegal – Building Information
Client: Balouo Salo and Tanaff valley communities
Aim: Humanitarian aids
Location: Sambacounda village, Senegal, Africa
Date of construction: 2018
Architecture design: Raoul Vecchio Architect
Collaboration: Regional Office of the Hydraulical Ministry, Sorgiva
Solar Well in Senegal images / information received 070119 from Raoul Vecchio Architect
Location: Sambacounda village, Senegal, West Africa
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