Sahara Forest

Australia

Gran Canaria

Oman

Abu Dhabi

Tenerife

 

Gran Canaria

Integrating cooling and distillation with the redevelopment of the harbour area of Las Palmas.

A recent architectural competition for the redevelopment of the harbour area of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria has given us the opportunity to expand on the Seawater Greenhouse concept, working in collaboration with the architects Nicholas Grimshaw & Partners.

The Seawater Greenhouse process utilises renewable energy in various ways, using a combination of the sun, the sea and the atmosphere to create cooling and fresh water. Its primary purpose is to enable crops to be grown in conditions that are otherwise difficult or impossible as a consequence of extreme temperatures, lack of fresh water, or both. However, the principles are not limited to agriculture and may readily be adapted to the built environment. Indeed many of the principles have been in use since antiquity to moderate the climate in hot, arid regions. The range of possibilities for cooling is considerably enhanced by using seawater. This is a relatively new development, requiring the use of low cost plastics for pipes, pumps and heat exchangers (metals that are adequately corrosion resistant to seawater are generally considered too expensive for such applications).