Design for Water

Marine Education Center at the Gulf Coast Research Laboratory in Ocean Springs, Miss. by Lake|Flato Architects in collaboration with Unabridged Architecture, a 2020 COTE Top Ten Award Recipient

Framework for Design Excellence: Design for Water

Good design conserves and improves the quality of water as a precious resource.

How does the project use water wisely, addressing efficiency and consumption while matching water quality to appropriate use?
How can the project’s water systems maintain function during emergencies or disruptions?
How does the project handle rainfall and stormwater responsibly?
How does the project contribute to a healthy regional watershed?

Focus topics

Climate change, water resilience, and equity
Potable water efficiency 
Outdoor water use reduction
Rainwater/stormwater use and management 
Process water reuse 
Reuse of greywater and/or blackwater 
Net zero water building (NZWB)

High impact

Best practices

Resources

Projects

If you can do only one (or a few) thing(s):

ZERO CARBON: Incorporate water reuse and reduction strategies and understand the relationship between energy, water, and carbon.
RESILIENT: Project future climate conditions and establish strategies to manage water at the building and site, including effects on the watershed. 
EQUITABLE: Identify stakeholders impacted by water use decisions and take steps to correct historic inequities. 
HEALTHY: Protect water sources for the site, downstream communities, and future consumers. Understand the water quality delivered to the site and emitted from the site.

Additional information

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