Harvesting Hope: Hydrophilic Architectural Cladding Unit for Combating Water Scarcity in Hot-Arid Regions

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

Summer 6-24-2025

Abstract

This study addresses water scarcity challenges in hot-arid regions by introducing innovative architectural cladding units capable of extracting water from the surrounding atmosphere. These units utilize hydrophilic desiccant materials and local climatic conditions to create a sustainable, self-sufficient water source that can be utilized both within and outside buildings. By reducing reliance on conventional water distribution systems, this solution alleviates the burden of water scarcity in hot-arid regions and addresses the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) 6, 11 and 13. The proposed architectural cladding units underwent a series of experiments to ensure their reliability. These units employ hydrophilic desiccant materials to extract moisture from the surrounding atmosphere and then utilize the surrounding atmospheric heat to condense and store the collected water. Each unit has compact dimensions, measuring 20 cm by 20 cm with a 7 cm width, and can produce up to 1.8 ml of water per day. Therefore, a facade as small as 100 m2 can yield 4.5 L of water daily. The units present a new typology for resilient architecture with demonstrated potential in tackling various issues related to water scarcity in hot-arid regions.

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