a community-built fog catcher promotes eco-friendly urban agriculture in colombia

eco-friendly urban agriculture to harvest water from air

In the heart of the small neighborhood of San Luis in Colombia, a local community has come together to create a prototype that harvests fog water and promotes eco-friendly urban agriculture practices. Through innovation and collaboration, the project initiated by Alsar Atelier, Oscar Zamora, Caesar Salomon, and the Colombian Society of Architects challenges traditional construction methods in Bogotá’s informal, self-built landscapes.

Posing a sustainable alternative model for such methods that typically use brick and concrete, the fog catcher can be completed without specialist knowledge or machinery and is shaped by gauge steel frames draped in a white fabric that collects water from air through its facade and a system of PVC tubes. In doing so, the project has not only empowered local community members, but has also inspired positive social change, making it a model for other informal neighborhoods worldwide.

alsar atelier fosters community building in bogotá

The project was devised was by Caesar Salomon and Alejandro Saldarriaga of studio Alsar Atelier, who initially organized the donation of a prototype that could harvest fog water to a resident of the San Luis Barrio that lacked access to the local aqueduct system. The idea took root, and the community members and the team of designers joined hands to make the prototype a reality. Showcasing the power of collaboration and resilience to devise innovative design solutions in the self-built environment, the fog catcher notably challenges traditional construction methods by presenting alternative materials, such as gauge steel frames, that promote more sustainable and eco-friendly practices.

Further, by using a white fabric (polisoimbra) for the skin, the water present in the fog is able to be condensed and later recollected with a system of PVC tubes places in the bottom part of the prototype. The collected water can then be used for domestic purposes such as cleaning and washing, reducing the community’s dependence on municipal water sources, or for irrigation in the greenhouse, promoting urban agriculture and creating an ideal microclimate for plant growth.

rethinking traditional construction for local empowerment

This community-built prototype has become a landmark in the San Luis neighborhood, empowering local community members, giving visibility to the project’s participants, and bringing about positive change. Requiring no specialist constructive knowledge for its assembly, the project has provided an opportunity for the community to learn new building techniques that promote sustainability without the use of heavy machinery or concrete.

Moreover, by promoting urban agriculture and reducing the community’s dependence on municipal water sources, Alsar Atelier has helped to improve food security and access to clean water, while also inspiring people to take action and come up with their innovative solutions to address the challenges faced by the community.

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project info:

name: A Community-built Fog Catcher

designer: Alsar Atelier & Oscar Zamora

community design team: Caesar Salomon, Edison Plazas, Nelson Gomez, and Diego Reyran

location: Bogotá, Colombia

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