THE VESSEL TYPE
RUITING XU (TETHYS)
THESIS STATEMENT 01
THESIS STATEMENT
“We have to fight to create the quality that we need to improve people’s lives.”
“Improving the lives and experiences of countless citizens in a region of the world that is at times forgotten.”
- Francis Kéré
Francis Krere’s words reflect a commitment to social responsibility in architecture and design, which inspires us to think about the importance of actively striving to enhance the quality of environments. Can we design something that is not only engaging with but also being responsive to the specific needs and challenges of a community? Nowadays, the role of architects should contribute to social equity and environmental sustainability. The built environment should go beyond fulfilling functional and aesthetic roles; it must also tackle wider social issues, especially improving quality of life in underdeveloped areas.
Why Ambalorao?
Choosing a rural site in Madagascar for the thesis is motivated by the unique challenges present in that area. Rural areas frequently suffer from inadequate infrastructure and resources, making them more vulnerable to environmental challenges like drought and flooding. Additionally, these conditions intensify social and economic disparities, limiting access to basic necessities and hindering sustainable development. By focusing on this setting, the project aims to demonstrate how architectural interventions can significantly improve living conditions and resilience against climate-related impacts.
What is The Vessel Type?
The Vessel Type is a collection of man-made objects designed to adapt to specific topographies and conditions. It responds to local environmental and social challenges while addressing broader regional issues, such as water shortages, through an expandable network composed of such nodes.
A typical Vessel Type integrates water management practice with spaces for social and cultural engagement. The design secures a reliable supply of clean water for daily activities and agricultural productivity. Also, it enhances community health and economic stability. This approach addresses environmental challenges and strengthens the social fabric, enhancing the overall quality of life and fostering sustainable community development.
Exploration
My thesis explores and tests the integration of social and environmental challenges into the DNA of architectural design. This exploration seeks to understand how these challenges can shape the formal and spiritual expressions of architecture. It aims to demonstrate how architecture can transcend traditional boundaries to address, contributing to a more harmonious and sustainable future.
PROVOCATION
WHY A SMALL VILLAGE IN MADAGASCAR?
The choice of Ambalorao is motivated by a desire to enhance the living quality of people in regions often overlooked or forgotten. This small village in Madagascar exemplifies the challenges faced by many rural communities worldwide, particularly those affected by extreme environmental conditions. By implementing a project that significantly improves water management and creates communal spaces, the thesis aims to elevate the everyday lives of Ambalorao’s residents.
Ambalorao’s unique geographical and climatic challenges make it an exemplary case for demonstrating how thoughtful architectural and infrastructural interventions can transform living conditions. The village experiences severe seasonal variations, from flooding in the wet season to droughts in the dry season, which directly impact the residents’ quality of life. By addressing these issues through the Village Vessel project, the thesis not only provides practical solutions to water management but also fosters a stronger community network, turning a space of mere survival into one of social and cultural enrichment.
Moreover, Ambalorao’s position as a junction to the coastal city of Andavadoaka and its role as a through-route for neighboring villages accentuates its potential as a community hub. This geographical significance ensures that improvements in water management and communal infrastructure will benefit not only the local residents but also those in surrounding areas. The project thus extends its impact, serving as a blueprint for similar interventions in other rural settings facing environmental and infrastructural challenges. By focusing on Ambalorao, the thesis not only addresses the immediate needs of its inhabitants but also contributes to a broader discourse on sustainable rural development, highlighting how small-scale interventions can lead to significant regional benefits.
In June, people forage for water in the Amboasary distrcict in southern Madagascar. (Tsiory Andriantsoarana)
Near the Madrare River, people dig holes to get drinking water. (Tsiory Andriantsoarana)
POSITION
How architecture can integrate with and enhance environments of such regions?
Can a single architectural intervention serve only manages water effectively throughout of the community’s daily social and cultural
How might this approach transform the way environment and each other?
enhance the natural and social
serve as a multifunctional hub that not throughout the year but also becomes a vital part cultural activities?
way communities interact with their
WATER AND COMMUNITY
Water is not merely a resource essential for survival; it is a vital component that shapes the social and cultural fabric of communities, especially in rural settings. In regions like Ambalorao where water availability changes drastically with the seasons, its presence and absence influence daily life. This thesis explores how architectural design can transform water management from a logistical challenge into a catalyst for community development and social cohesion.
By integrating water infrastructure with communal spaces, the project redefines the role of water in the village. Instead of being a source of distress during floods and scarcity, it becomes a central element around which daily life and social interactions revolve. The design of the Village Vessel ensures that water collection points are not just functional but are also gathering places that promote community engagement. As such, water serves as a binding force, linking individuals and groups, facilitating cultural exchange, and fostering a sense of belonging and community identity.
In Tsihombe, people gather around pit to get water. (Alice Rahmoun)
Some people travel over four hours to the Mandrare river to collect water. (Patrick Meinhardt)
PROJECT 04
SITE ANALYSIS
Location of Ambalorao in Madagascar
Monthly Climatology of Average MInimum Surface Air Temperature, Average Mean Surface Air Temperature, Average Maximum Surface Air Temperature & Precipitation 1991-2020; Atsimo Andrefasna, Madagascar
Climate Change Knowledge Portal
Rainfall Classification: Intensity of Rainfall in 24 Hours
Weather and Climate Services DIvision, NCHM
No rain
Very Light Rain
Light Rain
Moderate Rain
Heavy Rain
Very Heavy Rain
Extremely Heavy Rain
Rainy Day
Definitions
Rainfall amount realized in a day is 0.0 mm
Rainfall amount realized in a day is between 0.1 mm to 0.9 mm
Rainfall amount realized in a day is between 1.0 mm to 10 mm
Rainfall amount realized in a day is between 11 mm to 30 mm
Rainfall amount realized in a day is between 31.0 mm to 70.0 mm
Rainfall amount realized in a day is between 70.0 mm to 150 mm
Rainfall amount realized in a day is equal or more than 151 mm
Rainfall amount realized in a day is 1.0 mm or more
Dry Season (Precipitation lower than 31.00 mm): May - Sep
Wet Season (Precipitation over 31.00 mm): Oct - Apr
DRY SEASON
May - Sep
Ponds near Ambalorao gradually dried up during dry season
Image from Google Earth
miles
miles
Distance of people living in Ambalorao to obtain drinkable water
WET SEASON
situated within the shallow basin area
The terrain’s slopes and the positioning of the village suggest water runoff from the higher altitudes.
Image from Arcgis.com
Ambalorao
Diagram of Wet Season Water Flow
PROJECT
WET SEASON
WATER COLLECTION WET SEASON
WATER FILTRATION
WATER STORAGE
EXCESS TO PONDS
EDUCATION
PLAYGROUND
CULTURAL HUB
MUSIC FESTIVAL
FAMER’S MARKET
DRY SEASON SATURATION CAUSEWAY
DRY SEASON PROGRAM
WATER COLLECTION WET SEASON
WATER FILTRATION
WATER STORAGE EXCESS TO PONDS
USAGE USAGE
EDUCATION
PLAYGROUND
CULTURAL HUB
CAUSEWAY
MUSIC FESTIVAL
FAMER’S MARKET
NERVES
NERVES
WATER BANK
WATER BANK
CENTRAL HUB
CENTRAL HUB
DRY SEASON
CAUSEWAY
HAND
HAND
THE FUTURE 05
THE FUTURE OF AMBALORAO
The Village Vessel project in Ambalorao is designed to adapt and evolve in response to both the immediate and long-term needs of the community, ensuring sustainability amid changing environmental conditions. As climate change continues to influence global weather patterns, the project’s adaptive design is crucial. “Indices for daily temperature and precipitation in Madagascar” indicate a warming climate with decreasing precipitation trends, suggesting that extreme weather events may become more frequent and severe. In this context, the Village Vessel’s role as a water management system becomes even more vital.
Over time, as the population of Ambalorao potentially grows due to its strategic location and improved living conditions, the demands for water will increase. The infrastructure laid out in the Village Vessel is scalable; additional water tanks and expanded communal areas can be integrated to meet the rising needs. This scalability ensures that new segments of the population can be accommodated without straining the existing resources.
WORKS CITED
Agence France Presse. “UN Seeks $76 Mn in Emergency Aid for Madagascar, Hit by ‘worst Drought in a Decade.’” Firstpost, January 20, 2021. https://www.firstpost. com/world/un-seeks-76-mn-in-emergency-aid-for-madagascar-hit-by-worstdrought-in-a-decade-9220821.html.
Christele Harrouk. “Francis Kéré Receives the 2022 Pritzker Architecture Prize” 15 Mar 2022. ArchDaily. Accessed 24 Aug 2024. <https://www.archdaily.com/978446/ francis-kere-receives-the-2022-pritzker-architecture-prize> ISSN 0719-8884.
Øhlenschlæger, Mia, Sarah C.B. Christensen, Henrik Bregnhøj, and Hans-Jørgen
Albrechtsen. 2016. “Submerged Pond Sand Filter—A Novel Approach to Rural Water Supply” Water 8, no. 6: 250. https://doi.org/10.3390/w8060250.
“Madagascar on Brink of ‘the 1st Famine Caused by Climate Change.’” Yahoo! News, Yahoo!, www.yahoo.com/news/madagascar-onbrink-of-the-first-famine-caused-by-climate-change-165244392. html?guccounter=1&guce_referrer=aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuZ29vZ2xlLmNvbS8&guce_ referrer_sig=AQAAACG7NenoOTbxv8nPEQWXiIcWERtQwI_YecGxyRJhlEJH9xGuzDxeBedQ0hqSRf46CTC6u3UClkFBOodaS66t6QqfUaMXYTq4ycpZV05NcmbAhyAw7WSDES2GZrPs1VJfx46wKnCtcRIAJXMoLyH2pb_jlov3S9t-zbty3NoAKsCF.
Randriamarolaza, Luc Yannick Andréas, Enric Aguilar, Oleg Skrynyk, Sergio M. Vicente Serrano and Fernando Domínguez Castro. “Indices for daily temperature and precipitation in Madagascar, based on quality controlled and homogenized data, 1950–2018.” International Journal of Climatology 42 (2021): 265 - 288.
Rigden, Angela J., Christopher D. Golden, Duo Chan and Peter Huybers. “Climate change linked to drought in Southern Madagascar.” npj Climate and Atmospheric Science (2024): n. pag.
Tamerra Griffin, “This is what it’s like when your country runs out of water,” BuzzFeed News, February 3, 2018, https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/tamerragriffin/thisis-what-its-like-when-your-country-runs-out-of-water.
