five blue water droplet baskets by canalside studio harvest rainwater in rural hong kong

Canalside Studio merges water harvesting with land art

The Blue Water Catcher is a temporary installation developed by Canalside Studio in collaboration with the NGO A Drop of Life. Located in the rural setting of Kuk Po, a historic Hakka village in the northeastern New Territories of Hong Kong, the project integrates water harvesting systems with site-specific land art to support environmental education and awareness.

The installation demonstrates rainwater and fog collection techniques through a modular and transportable design system. Five large blue elements, each resembling a water droplet, were constructed using painted rattan baskets, porous fabric, and bamboo framing. These structures serve dual functions, visually referencing water and physically collecting it. Porous fabric captures mist in ‘mist mode,’ while in ‘rain mode,’ precipitation is funneled through plastic tubing into a nearby well. The structures are supported by water-filled counterweights embedded in the soil.

all images courtesy of Canalside Studio

Blue Water Catcher employs bamboo and rattan elements

The system references both contemporary environmental concerns and local historical practices. Designers at Canalside Studio mirror the irrigation infrastructure built by Kuk Po villagers during the Qing dynasty through a network of plastic pipes. Though no longer maintained, these historical systems once irrigated the area’s agricultural land, now overtaken by brackish wetlands. These wetlands support mangroves, egrets, mudskippers, and other ecologically significant species.

Designed for low-impact installation in remote areas, the Blue Water Catcher employs lightweight, scalable materials suitable for rural deployment. The bamboo and rattan elements are easily transportable, and the use of color and form draws from visual precedents such as Christo and Jeanne-Claude’s The Gates, emphasizing contrast with the surrounding landscape.

five blue droplet-like structures form the Blue Water Catcher installation

Blue Water Catcher can be dismantled and reassembled

Originally intended as a seasonal summer installation in 2024, Blue Water Catcher by Canalside Studio was later reassembled as a temporary light installation for the inaugural Countryside Harvest Festival in January 2025. It aligns with the objectives of the Water Experience BaseCamp, which offers hands-on education about water scarcity and conservation.

Access to Kuk Po is limited to foot or boat, subject to special permit, making the site an effective location for experiential learning. The Blue Water Catcher also received recognition through a Nomination Award at the inaugural Better Design Award in China. The project was made possible through support from A Drop of Life, the Design Trust (via a Seed Grant), the Countryside Conservation Office, and the PolyU Design curatorial team.

the water collected is transported via the plastic tubes to be stored in a nearby well

porous fabric captures moisture from mist and rain in two distinct collection modes

rattan baskets, bamboo frames, and fabric make each water-collecting structure

painted blue, the rattan baskets sit on a bamboo structure

in Mist Mode, the fabric stays on to collect mist in the air with its enlarged surface area

in Rain Mode, the fabric is removed so that the baskets can collect rainwater directly

the interior of the rattan baskets is lined with blue plastic sheets to help collect water

porous blue fabric allows for a larger surface area to collect mist

plastic tubes are tied to the bamboo structure

Blue Water Catcher turned into a light installation at night, for the Countryside Harvest Festival

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study model

project info:

name: Blue Water Catcher
designer: Canalside Studio | @canalside.studio
location: Kuk Po, Hakka, Hong Kong, China