News Brief

Hydro Wall Wins Next Generation Prize

The Hydro Wall provides thermal storage while holding rainwater that could be used for a range of purposes, including filling fire trucks.

Rendering: Virginia San Fratello
Virginia San Fratello and collaborators Ronald Rael and Isaiah Dunlap won the third annual Next Generation Award, sponsored by

Metropolis magazine, for their Hydro Wall design. Hydro Wall is a series of flexible bladders designed to store rainwater within a building’s walls. The water could be used for irrigation, flushing toilets, and a range of other uses but while it is stored functions as thermal mass to moderate internal building temperatures in climates with wide daily temperature swings. The team envisions growing plants from pockets embedded in the undulating walls. For more information on the Hydro Wall, visit www.rael-sanfratello.com. To learn about the 11 runners-up, visit www.metropolismag.com/cda/story.php?artid=1936.

Published July 9, 2006

Boehland, J. (2006, July 9). Hydro Wall Wins Next Generation Prize. Retrieved from https://www.buildinggreen.com/newsbrief/hydro-wall-wins-next-generation-prize

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