PORTFOLIO YIWEN ZHANG

Application number：23110697

A migratory system of Afar nomads

Live Into Voids

Creating a vertical urban life while preserving rural habits

Decision

A virtual game world in Metaverse

Feather

Dynamic installations in ancient paintings of the Northern Song Dynasty

Introduction

This project discusses how to build a promising migration system for the nomadic Afar people in the extreme arid regions of Ethiopia. Based on the harsh environment of the Danakil Desert and the free time lost by the women and children of the people to fetch water, we offer several solutions: counting similar climatic structures along the route, analysing the way the desert water towers collect water and using a game platform to simulate the estimated migration routes, resulting in the construction of a new Afar 2.0 community.

[REASON TO MIGRATION]

The creation of new interactive platforms and the widespread use of the Internet have made it easy for people from different regions to communicate with each other,providing a strong reason for migration.

In 2021, the average temperature of land and ocean surfaces is 0.84 degrees Celsius warmer than the 20th century average. Melting glaciers are raising sea levels; increasing the frequency of extreme weather, such as droughts, floods and temperature extremes, affecting life and agricultural production; and accelerating ecosystem change.

Due to the seasonal variations of the dry season in eastern Ethiopia, the local Afar people often migrate because of water. Over time, they developed a moveable communal way of life.

They tie bundles of twine together to form simple, moveable dwellings.

They have lived here for hundreds of years without outside support.

Camels, donkeys, horses, cattle and sheep were their common livestock. These animals not only provide them with economic resources and food, but also an ample supply of labour.

In the deserts of the Afar region, the Aboriginal people lived mainly by grazing and hunting and fishing. However, these living conditions were barely subsistence.

So, to help them cope with the worsening greenhouse effect and the scarcity of water, we have created a path of life for a people who have long been searching for water.

Here we will guide them through forests and lakes and into the mountains to a fertile land where they can not only continue their old way of life, but also integrate new modes of production that will improve their quality of life.

In their new location, an ambitious blueprint is unfolding for their communities to prosper with the help of modern tools and trade in commodities. A new challenge and way of life will accompany this life journey.

Installation of on-farm water supply systems

Delivery of construction material

Laying of water channels

Transporting water

Reclamation

Finding water sources

[COMPARISON OF TWO TARGET POINTS]

The inhabitants of the two target sites differ considerably in many aspects such as lifestyle and building use

[WAYPOINT ANALYSIS]

Music is needed for the rituals,the system is built using bamboo poles and other things can be hung

[INTERIOR LAYOUT&VOXEL]

[ACTIVITIES&CONSTRUCTIONS]

Male Children

Elderly

Female

Camle Donkeys

Horses Sheep Cattle

Grazing Water collection

Cultivation

Planting

Drying

Transport

[FOUNDATION BUILDING UNITS]

School

Heat-proof ventilation windows（Arabic）

Drying & Storage

Water storage tank （local）

Multi-storey residential

Community ventilation shafts ventilation windows（Arabic）

Clay rammed earth wall（local）

Handicraft workshop

Drying platform

Storage room

[WATER FLOW AND COLLECTION DEVICES]

Mist collection device (for residential use)

Connecting stables (for livestock)

Out-of-community mist collector (for livestock and humans)

Fog and dew collection towers

Awning （Indonesian） storage towers (for the circulation within the community)

Area 2

Handicraft workshops

The handicraft workshops create semi-open spaces with controlled air flow and the ability to collect water.

[THE MIGRATION PATH TO THE OASIS]

The long migration of herders from the desert to a climate suitable for survival has led to a stable and erratic life, with buildings and installations being erected to improve life and to enrich the daily activities of the people.

Area 3

Group schools

The venue provides a space where pastoralist children can learn their knowledge and avoid the previous situation of learning outdoors.

Migrationroutes

Area 1

Residential Area

The residential area is the largest area around which all other areas are built. The pastoralists can guarantee the use of water in it.

Area 4

Horse Stables

The stables provide space for feeding and watering the animals kept by the herdsmen.

People are beginning to settle on the site and use the best of vernacular architecture from around the world to optimise the buildings in which they live, and people's lives are moving in a good direction.

[Outdoor spaces]

The AFAR 2.0 community is interspersed with a large number of outdoor spaces, which are important to the pastoralists as their original mode of living was to build their dwellings in the open spaces of the desert, and these open spaces provide space for their daily gatherings.most relaxing experience for the residents

[Semi-open space]

In all the buildings there are a large number of semi-open spaces, which have been designed to take into account the environmental factors surrounding the site and to allow for better air circulation throughout the space, making the living environment more livable.