where does all the WATER go?
emily kim
emily kim
TA B L E O F C O N T E N T S ISSUES WITH STORM WATER IDENTIFYING SPACES OF INTEREST ENLIGHTENED PATH
emily kim
I S S U E S W I T H S T O R M WAT E R Puddling at crosswalks presents a larger issue for pedestrians in Northampton. The slopes separating the sidewalk from the street create spaces for storm water to collect - increasing water or snow fall creating larger puddles. These pockets of still water can house:
which are health hazards.
algae bacteria fungi biofilm fly maggots mosquito larvae
In addition, water freezes at 32F which happens often in Northampton - increasing the space when the ice expands. These larger ‘holes’ provide room for bigger puddles in the future, and thus continuing the vicious cycle.
emily kim
emily kim
I D E N T I F Y I N G S PA C E S O F I N T E R E S T
Due to small, unkempt, and sometimes nonexistent sidewalks, there is not a high population of pedestrians in Northampton. One of the most frequented roads outside of downtown Northampton is the sidewalk following Route 9. Walking along Route 9, it quickly became obvious that one side was over flowing with large pools of storm water, while the other side was where almost all of the storm drains were implemented.
KEY
emily kim
Highest Concentration of Puddles Highest Concentration of Drains
But why is there water pooling up into such large puddles in the first place? Route 9 is almost completely paved over, meaning there is nowhere for storm water to go. This is a major issue as the drain infrastructure is outdated and insufficient.
AREA IMPERVIOUS AREA OF PACEL
% of impervious land v. lot size is low
% of impervious land v. lot size is high
emily kim
E N L I G H T E N E D PAT H
Looking at high traffic of cars, high flood rate due to lack of permeable surfaces, and low visibility for pedestrians in downtown Northampton, I propose a light installation on the main cross walk to: a) safety: increase visibility of pedestrians b) awareness: draw attention to flooding and the lack of storm water collection infrastructure c) advertisement: act as a new platform for displaying information
emily kim
emily kim
sustainable practice & design
The purpose of this proposal is to raise awareness while creating a safer space for pedestrians in downtown Northampton without using outside energy sources. Instead I wanted to use the water which was causing the problem to fuel the light installation. By using a micro water turbine I could create more than enough energy to power a low-energy LED light source.
emily kim
MICROWATER TURBINE (WATERPROOF) can create up to 3600 watts LED LIGHTBOARD uses approximately 100 watts per hour
LITRACON (fiber optics in concrete) is the first commercially available transparent concrete
emily kim
water activated advocate
A water activated device triggers the ‘puddle’ formations
emily kim
as water pressure rises in the water turbine, ‘puddles’ visually increase in depth.
emily kim