The Second International Conference on Sustainable Architecture and Urban Development took place on July 12-14, 2010 in Amman, Jordan. It was organized by  The Center for the Study of Architecture in the Arab Region (CSAAR) in collaboration with the University of Dundee, School of Architecture, UK, and Jordan University, Jordan.

Professor Chaouni and Margolis' paper is titled:

"Water Infrastructure and Innovative technologies in Arid Climates"

ABSTRACT
Water infrastructures are components of cities that are rarely viewed as a potential ground for investigation for designers. Given that most cities in the Middle East possess deficient water systems that are adapted neither to their arid climate nor to the upcoming worldwide water crisis, the need for alternatives is critical. What are the possible solutions that can improve the efficiency of existing water networks and at the same time generate spaces and structures that cities need? Desert climates, which operate with an expanded definition of water including sewage water, saline water, fog and ambient humidity, offer an ideal ground for such inquiries since the efficiency vs. conservation dialectic is at its most extreme.

This paper will analyze the typologies of water infrastructure networks that exist in arid climates and present some of the innovative technologies that come to support them. The term technology refers here to a process or an operation, its behavioral characteristics, as well as the material structures and interactions that generate its behavior. The mapping of water technologies through drawings and efficiency matrixes is the result of a research project that we have been conducting for the past year and in which we have surveyed existing as well as speculative technologies implemented in arid zones. We will focus precisely on the potential of these technologies to  augment cross breeding with other networks and generate new feedback loops, while opening new venues for design.

For more information about the conference and the conference proceedings please refer to:

http://www.csaar-center.org/conference/saud2010/

http://www.csaar-center.org/publication/CatalogCart.htm