Urbanization has significantly altered the built environment, leading to increased urban heat and the loss of green spaces, which are being replaced by buildings, which in its turn retain more heat inside the city. Climate change causes extremer weather, resulting in heavier rainfall and urban floodings, for which cities are often unprepared. Incorporation of nature into the vertical buildings surfaces has the potential to address these challenges. A promising solution for creating these vertical green areas are porous concrete façades. Although research into this application has been performed for several years, a widespread implementation remains limited. A demountable, quick-to-install solution could assist the broader implementation of green solutions in urban areas. This research investigates the feasibility of such a demountable system.

In this project, student teams from Universidad San Francisco de Quito and Delft University of Technology worked together to provide safe drinking water in Ecuador. We used M-100 chlorinators from the company WaterStep, donated by Water Ambassadors Canada, to chlorinate water in schools and communities. The journey involved testing water quality, setting up the chlorination systems, and learning how to work in different communities. The key to success was testing water properly and setting up the system carefully. Learnings about working with local communities and organizations are included as well as the importance to understand each community’s needs to make a real difference.