Water Harvesting: Architecture towards an ecologically integrated community

This thesis presents a proposal for the integration of domestic dwellings with a locally-scaled, water harvesting infrastructure on an agricultural site on the Naramata Bench of the South Okanagan Valley of British Columbia. In this design scheme, rain and meltwater are harvested on site and directed to both agricultural irrigation and non-potable domestic use. The design proposal is a response to the possibility of future water scarcity in the Okanagan Valley and to the regions complex housing conditions. The design scheme is discussed with respect to the Classical Greek philosophy of the oikos and the stewardship values that are embedded in it.