DRIP Daniel Greteman Xiangkun Hu Ian Rodgers Nichole Tortorici Caroline Watts
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Content
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Background Features How it’s Made What You’ll Need Installation
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Background For our prototype, we imagined a self-installed product that could be customizable and that would work in a range of conditions. Designed for single family homes, v (Accessory Dwelling Units), and backyard sheds, the product would allow for the harvest and storage of rainwater integrated with an auto-irrigating vertical garden. We looked at the spatial constraints of side and backyards that lead us to think of this project as a wall solution with a minimum footprint. Also, we considered requirements for rainwater collection in building codes and the sort of existing roto-formed barrels that are common responses to this code. In view of potable water provision during emergencies - such as earthquake, this prototype is not merely an aesthetically modified rain barrel. To sustain a household of four for 14 days, 57 gallons of water is required at minimum. The bladder has a maximum capacity of 75 gallons. Rainwater is safe to drink after simple treatment, and our durable bladder skin could protect its quality in both good and bad times. If the house grew edible plants in our pocket system, a decorative garden wall would as well be their fresh food bank in need.
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Features From Roof to Bladder: The project uses an easy to install downspout diverter to begin capturing water from the roof. Inserting a water diverter in the downspout system at a height of seven feet from the ground gives enough of an angle to fed into an inlet on a wall mounted pleated PVC bladder. The water diverter also helps with overflow; when the bladder is completely filled, water will continue down the downspout instead of entering the bladder.
Bladder: The bladder and its box pleats help with the verticality of the reservoir and the control of its shape and volume. Rather than a fixed container, this articulation expresses the amount of water as it fills up while also revealing its construction. The fabric pocket strips are utilized as planters which are also removable. We imagine that these would be customizable and the buyer could choose a color or pattern to their liking.
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Planting: Along with collecting fresh rain water, you can now grow a lush and lively vertical garden. These pockets are great for edible herbs such as cilantro, basil, chives, and parsley that can be harvested when you need them. If you are interested in growing larger produce, the pocket liner system is great for growing seedlings. Simply pull out the liner and transplant it once the plant has reached a large enough size. Annuals and succulents, depending on where you install your garden, add an eye-catching and lush aesthetic to any house. Irrigation: To feed the plants, a gridded irrigation system pulls the water from the bladder. A siphoning tube with a charcoal filter on the inside is connected to a battery powered pump that serves the drip irrigation system and waters the 40 plants on a timer. A diverter valve in the irrigation system allows for drawing water when needed for emergencies.
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How it’s Made Materials: The PVC bladder is made of a composite material with potable-grade lining on the interior. The material is cut to size, the box pleats are folded, and all edges are sealed using radio-frequency welding. The additional layers produced by the box pleats create a faster and stronger weld. The fittings for inlets and outlets are sourced from a nautical specialist company for supplying similar bladders for boating and made of propylene and rubber washers for a water tight seal.
The pocket material is made of a technical fabric for outdoor furniture that resists fading from sunexposure and is water resistant. It snaps in place directly to the bladder and can be removed for maintenance, seasonal changes, and for color varieties. The inner linings are standard grow bags for vertical gardens. Grow bags are liners for each individual pocket. These can easily be removed for replanting.
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Design Process: The prototyping phase involved looking at garment making techniques for creating expandable forms including box pleats, seam-types, and tolerances for hanging the bladder. We imagined that we would use the products ability to be rolled and folded to create a flat-pack method for purchasing and installing.
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What You’ll Need
Starter Kit
Box 1 & 2: The starter kit in the assembly is equipped with a sealed bladder system, wall connection brackets and clips, water inlet connections, maintenance hatch, flexible tubing, and the water downspout diverter for three inch square downspouts.
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Accessories
Box 3-10: To get the most out of the rain bladder, the accessories kit completes the water use system. These include: water repellent fabric strips to house plants, the various plants with nutrients, and the complete irrigation system with battery operated water regulator.
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Starter Kit Bladder System 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6.
Pleated Bladder Outlet Tubing Connector Inlet Tubing Connector Maintenance Hatch Brackets (x2) Screws (x8) 42”
42”
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5-0”
5-0”
1’-0”
1’-0”
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Downspout 1. 2.
Water Diverter 1-1/2” Bendable Tubing (30 in.)
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Things You’ll Need 1.
Electric Screwdriver
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Accessories
Planting purchased Plants:
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1. Fill your liner bag with about 2 inches of soil.
Fabric 1.
2. Remove purchased plant from container and Pockets place into liner.
3. Place filled pocket into desired(x6) plant Snap-onliner Fabric Pockets pocket. Place irrigation stake into soil. 4. Let the growing begin! 5. Pocket Liner can be easily removed when needed.
Planting seeds for eventual transplanting: 1. Fill your liner bag with about soil, leaving about 1� unfilled at the top. Plant your seed about 1/4� into soil (see package for advised planting depth). 2. Place pocket liner into desired plant pocket.
Planting Pods 1. 2.
3. When plant reaches appropriate size, remove 1 Planting from Linerplant pocket. Soil 4. Leave plant in pocket 2 liner and transplant to larger container or ground. 5. Over time, pocket liner will decompose.
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Irrigation 1. 2. 3. 4. 5.
Elbow Dripper Stakes (x41) Tubing Tee (x40) Three-Way Valve 1/4� Clear Tubing (80 ft.) Water Regulator
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Step 1 42”
5-0”
1’-0”
Wall Bracket: Placing a leveled bracket one foot from the ground, using an electric drill, screw into wall. Place another leveled bracket five feet higher from the first bracket and drill screws into wall.
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wall
bladder
Bladder Clips: Place the already installed bladder clips on top of the brackets to complete wall mounting.
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Step 2
Gutter Connection: Cutting a hole in the gutter to connect the downspout. Depending on overhang length of the gutter away from the building, the downspout between the two elbow connections will be cut to size.
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1'-0"
Water Diverter: Measure the height of the bladder intake connection. The water diverter should be placed one foot above the intake, allowing proper water flow. Cut lower downspout to size.
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Step 3
IN OUT
Irrigation Regulator: The battery operated regulator is placed at the top right corner of the bladder. This siphons water from the bladders interior. The three way valve (above regulator) allows water to be used for irrigation or emergency supply.
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4"
Install Irrigation: Clear irrigation tubes run through the snap loops to be held in grid formation. This allows even flow of water across the bladder and be checked for any blockages.
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Step 4 8”
7”
1/2” 10”
6”
Bladder (under)
Fabric Snapped: To protect the bladder from UV rays, fabric is added with pockets. These pockets will later be used to house plants. Each strip of fabric has a snap sequence that allows for easy installation.
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Strips Complete: Once all the fabric strips have been snapped into place, check the irrigation lines to make sure they are now hidden. The bladder is now ready for plants.
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Fabric Options
Color & Pattern: The color for the fabric strips shown is Apricot. There are a variety of other colors and patterns to choose from to fit your building.
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Step 5 Planting purchased Plants:
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1. Fill your liner bag with about 2 inches of soil. 2. Remove purchased plant from container and place into liner. 3. Place filled pocket liner into desired plant pocket. Place irrigation stake into soil. 4. Let the growing begin! 5. Pocket Liner can be easily removed when needed.
Planting seeds for eventual transplanting: 1. Fill your liner bag with about soil, leaving about 1� unfilled at the top. Plant your seed about 1/4� into soil (see package for advised planting depth). 2. Place pocket liner into desired plant pocket. 3. When plant reaches appropriate size, remove from plant pocket. 4. Leave plant in pocket liner and transplant to larger container or ground. 5. Over time, pocket liner will decompose.
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Small Edibles Planting Guide Herbs and other smaller edible plants can be grown and maintained within the vertical planter. Harvest top most leaves first. Small Edibles Recommended: - Sweetand Basil Herbs other smaller edible plants can -beThai Basiland maintained within the vertical grown -planter. Mint Harvest top most leaves first. - Chives -Recommended: Rosemary -- Parsley Sweet Basil -- Cilantro Thai Basil - Mint - Chives - Rosemary - Parsley - Cilantro
Large Edibles The vertical planter is great for seedlings. After 6-10 weeks (depending on the plant) seedling can easily be transplanted from the pocket planter to the ground or larger Largecontainer. Edibles The vertical planter is great for seedlings. Recommended: After 6-10 weeks (depending on the plant) - Tomatoes seedling can easily be transplanted from the Peppers pocket planter to the ground- or larger - Kale container. - Zucchini - Green Beans Recommended: Lettuces --Tomatoes - Peppers - Kale - Zucchini - Green 30Beans - Lettuces
Aesthetic Plants for Direct Lighting If you are not as interested in growing edible plants and have your planter located in an area that receives 6+ hours of sun a day, you have many options that will fill up Aesthetic for Direct Lighting your planterPlants with color and volume. If you are not as interested in growing Recommended: edible plants and have your planter located -inAloe Verathat receives 6+ hours of sun a an area -day, Zebra youPlant have many options that will fill up -your Pencil Tree with Plantcolor and volume. planter - Cacti -Recommended: Annuals -- House Leek Aloe Vera -- Coleus Zebra Plant - Pencil Tree Plant - Cacti - Annuals - House Leek - Coleus
Aesthetic Plants for Indirect Lighting If your planter is located in a shaded area of your yard that gets less that 6 hours of sunlight a day, you will want to incorporate plants that thrive in indirectly lit areas. Aesthetic Plants for Indirect Lighting If your planter is located in aRecommended: shaded area of Plant your yard that gets less that- Jade 6 hours of - Birds Nest Fern sunlight a day, you will want to incorporate - Dead plants that thrive in indirectly lit Nettle areas. - Primrose - Aloe Vera Recommended: - -Panda Plant Jade Plant - Haworthia - Birds Nest Fern - Dead Nettle - Primrose - Aloe Vera - Panda31 Plant - Haworthia
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