Reinventing interactions between architecture and water

Since the earliest human settlements, the ambivalent confrontation with water has been an unavoidable theme for all stakeholders in the built environment. On the one hand, it's a vital resource which has encouraged the proximity of buildings to different streams or bodies of water. On the other hand, it also represents a risk to be prevented, when it comes to protecting against flooding or, on a smaller scale, ensuring the watertightness of a facade or roof.

In today's climate emergency, water management is a growing challenge. Architecture is no exception to the issues linked to this precious resource, which is under pressure exacerbated by climate change, increasing both flooding and drought. That is why, today, architecture is part of a search for greater resilience in the face of risks and sparing use of natural resources.

By taking an approach at different scales of intervention – from neighborhoods in transition to construction details – the architectural project can make a significant contribution to the territorial changes underway as a driving force. For example, in terms of urban visions, the regeneration of sites today includes the search for new balances and the implementation of interactions more in harmony with the natural water cycle. At the building scale, the integration of ecological devices can multiply the means of retaining rainwater, while at the same time promoting recovery cycles to limit the need for drinking water.