Ingenious Bowl-Shaped Roof Collects Rainwater to Provide Natural Cooling

concave roof bmdesign sustainability environment design architecture

Based out of Tehran, BMDesign Studios is used to facing complex issues that come with living in an arid environment. With precipitation one-third of the world average, and evaporation three times higher, the firm has devised a double-roof system to solve the water scarcity problem. The Concave Roof consists of an elegant, bowl-shaped structure atop a domed roof. Rainwater funnels through the bowl into cooling reservoirs, while the space between the double roofs provides wind circulation and shade.

The system is designed to “help [make] even the smallest quantities of rain [flow down] the roof and eventually coalesce into bigger drops, just right for harvesting before they evaporate,” the architects explain. Placed in between building walls, the cooling reservoir helps regulate indoor temperatures. As a result, the carbon footprint of the air conditioning units essential in the intense climate is lowered.

Initial testing shows 60% efficiency, with 989 cubic feet of water harvested out of just 9,935 square feet of concave roof. The Iranian firm plans to continue research in order to maximize future efficiency.With arid areas due to increase over the next 30 to 40 years, the innovative thinking of BMDesign Studios will become increasingly essential for comfortable—and efficient—living.

concave roof bmdesign sustainability environment design architecture

concave roof bmdesign sustainability environment design architecture

concave roof bmdesign sustainability environment design architecture

concave roof bmdesign sustainability environment design architecture

concave roof bmdesign sustainability environment design architecture

concave roof bmdesign sustainability environment design architecture

concave roof bmdesign sustainability environment design architecture

concave roof bmdesign sustainability environment design architecture

concave roof bmdesign sustainability environment design architecture

 

BMDesign Studios: Website 
h/t: [Inhabitat]

All images via BMDesign Studios.

Jessica Stewart

Jessica Stewart is a Staff Editor and Digital Media Specialist for My Modern Met, as well as a curator and art historian. Since 2020, she is also one of the co-hosts of the My Modern Met Top Artist Podcast. She earned her MA in Renaissance Studies from University College London and now lives in Rome, Italy. She cultivated expertise in street art which led to the purchase of her photographic archive by the Treccani Italian Encyclopedia in 2014. When she’s not spending time with her three dogs, she also manages the studio of a successful street artist. In 2013, she authored the book "Street Art Stories Roma" and most recently contributed to "Crossroads: A Glimpse Into the Life of Alice Pasquini." You can follow her adventures online at @romephotoblog.
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