Imagine a building with walls that double as cisterns, collecting rainwater that's heated by the sun. The water is then used as thermal mass (for radiant heating, for example) or in any number of greywater applications that require warm or hot water. Both water and the energy used to heat the water would be conserved on a massive scale by simply utilizing natural elements and systems that nature uses every day. This ingenious concept won architect Virginia San Fratello the $10,000 first place prize in the 3rd annual Next Generation Design Competition sponsored by Metropolis Magazine. We featured last year's winner, Joseph Hagerman's Biopaver, previously; between the two, they make a pretty interesting small-scale water usage/treatment solution. San Fratello's proposal will be featured at the Metropolis booth at the upcoming International Contemporary Furniture Fair, May 20-23 2006, in New York, as part of the magazine's 2006 Next Generation Design Competition exhibit and in the June issue of their magazine. ::Metropolis via ::Cool Hunting

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