the waterhall project by orient occident atelier provides safe drinking water in cambodia

orient occident atelier (OOA) constructs a work of socially performative architecture, the waterhall project, which provides safe drinking water for underprivileged communities. sited in the sneung village of battambang, cambodia, the brick construction houses a pump and filter system that generates clean water for locals. the social project won community funding from the hong kong institute of architects, and further serves as a social hub and host to gatherings, celebrations and community festivities. during the design process, the team investigates and documents local building techniques and methodologies of craft, which are employed and expressed with a contemporary language.

all images courtesy of orient occident atelier (OOA)

the design team at orient accident atelier (OOA) raised funds and created the waterhall project in order to alleviate the water shortages of the remote cambodian village. the region is sited along the outskirts of battambang, which had previously been ravaged by landmines during the 1970s rule of the khmer rouge party. because the village finds its main water source from a collection of wells together with a nearby lake, access to water is very unreliable. the lake is dry for half of the year due to recurring droughts and floods caused by climate change, and wells are contaminated by pollution from nearby factories. the village is further impacted by waste pollution caused by the continual usages of plastic bottled water.

with the waterhall project, orient occident atelier (OOA) designs a system which collects water from both natural rainfall and the nearby lake. this supply is then filtered through the system, providing safe potable water for locals to collect and use. with the villagers able to use locally made ceramic jugs and bottles to carry filtered water, the issue of plastic bottle waste is then mitigated. upon its completion in 2019, the team managed to generate filtered potable water while the region experienced the worst drought in its recent history. the project was greatly welcomed by the local community and was occupied as a social hub, cultivating a great spirit among the local people.

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project info:

project title: waterhall project
architecture: orient occident atelier (OOA)

location: sneung, battambang, cambodia
clients: sneung village
lead architects: kenrick wong, magic kwan
design team: fionne chan, harrison lai
collaborators: jane luk, janet tam
function: water filtration facilty, water storage facility, community hall
completion: february 2019
photography: magic kwan, kenrick wong