STORY OF 40

Spatial Study Diagrams

Additional Kubuswoningen Images

Quarantine Unit Study

WaterWings for Zimbabwe

Part 2: Survival Routines

Objectives:

• Analyze and measure the habitual sequences necessary for survival


• Identify critical moments of excess and deficiency within the daily cycles of life


• Establish survival as a cycle of consumption and expenditure.

Survival activities I recorded:

-Eating and drinking

Units of measure:

-Time

Exploring Water Filters

In my experiment with filtering water, I used a wire mesh, then sand, then cotton-lined tissue, then more tissue, then more cotton.

Trial 5: Finalizing the Design

Trial 4: Figuring Out the Logistics

Trial 3: Exploring New Materials and Methods

Trial 2: Distributing the Water and Weight

1 liter storage pack - trial 1

In trying to tackle the storage function of the design, I decided to start by exploring the design strategy of a Camelbak water booksack. It compensates for the weight of the pack by adding padding on the back and shoulder straps as well as providing clips to secure the pack to the body, minimizing the burden on the person. On the back side of the pack (which touches the back) the padding is broken into 6 equal pads with a separation among all of them to allow for an "air director". In this way, the surface of the pack which touches the back is reduced and there is opportunity for air flow which keeps the back cool.

Drawing from the cooling strategy of the Camelbak, I decide to use their idea of the with the 6 separated pads, and use those as storage compartments for the water. After researching child ergonomics (Ergonomics for Children by Lueder and Rice), I learned that the best way for a child to carry a lot of weight is on the back, strapped close to the body, with the majority of the weight on the lower back hip area. To study strictly the weight distribution of a 1 liter of water on a back pack for a child, I made a diagram which separates the water into 6 parts with (3 rows of paired water packs). The water distrubution is as follows:

Top row = ~0.266 liters total (~0.133 liters per pack)

Middle row = ~0.334 liters total (~0.167 liters per pack)

Bottom row = ~0.4 liters total (~0.2 liters per pack)

To contain the water, I poured the measured amount into ziplock bags, removed all the excess air, and tightly wrapped the ziplock of water to the proper chipboard piece (cut according to the drawing shown below) with Saran wrap. Next I laid the water pack components out onto a supportive chipboard piece and strapped everything together with duct tape. Here are the pictures.

Making the Site Model

Last week I went to Our Lady of the Lake Hospital and found a statue of Ronald McDonald holding a child. So...after getting permission of course, I wrapped the statue of the child in orange plastic garbage bags and duck-taped the child statue. Once completely covered I cut the duck-tape off and hence my child replica!

Determining the Site

Having established the goal of designing a device with dual functions - preventing cholera (straw filter) as well as treating cholera (ORS - Oral Rehydration Solution, my next step is to determine where on the body this device can be kept. Having learned that cholera is a leading cause of the high death rate of children in impoverished regions, I have decided to design a device targeted towards children.

Therefore, the following are high on my list of design consideration priorities:

• designing a storage device for one treatment of ORS - this includes 1 tsp. of salt, 8 tsp. of sugar, and 1 liter of clean water (approx. 2.205 lbs.)
• finding a site on the child's body that can bear the weight of 2.205 lbs. of water for long periods of time on a daily basis in such a way that does not inhibit the child's physical activities
• determining the proper materials to store the ORS that can be exposed to hot climates for long periods of time that will keep the required liter of clean water clean, and free of BPA and phthalates (which are harmful chemicals released from plastics when exposed to heat over a long period of time)
• distributing the weight of the device so as to reduce the overall burden on the child
• ergonomically designing the device in a way that allows the storage device to become a comfortable addition to the child's everyday apparel

My next step is to get my hands on some type of child mold or model in order to design accordingly to my site. Any suggestions?

AquaSafeStraw

Here is one solution already in existence that purifies drinking water: the AquaSafeStraw.

(http://www.aquasafestraw.com/)

Facts About Cholera

(http://volunteer-nepal.abroaderview.org/#health)

Cholera is an acute, diarrheal illness caused by infection of the intestine with the bacterium vibrio cholerae. The infection is often mild or without symptoms, but sometimes can be severe. (CDC.gov) Cholera is FOUND in brackish rivers and coastal waters as well as undercooked shellfish in the Gulf of Mexico. In an epidemic, the source of the contamination is usually the feces of an infected person. Cholera is TRANSMITTED by consuming contaminated water, food, and vegetables, soiled hands (of infected persons) contaminating food and water, and fish taken from contaminated water and served raw. The PRIMARY VICTIMS of cholera are those in poverty in under-developed nations without access to a clean water source. Since 1995, over 80% of the reported cases have occured in Africa. The SYMPTOMS include profuse watery diarrhea, vomiting, circulatory collapse, and shock. Patients can be TREATED with oral rehydration solution - which is used throughout the world to treat diarrhea. Severe cases also require intravenous fluid replacement. With prompt rehydration, fewer than 1% of cholera patients die.

Information gathered from:

http://www.cdc.gov/nczved/dfbmd/disease_listing/cholera_gi.html

http://www.who.int/topics/cholera/en/

THE CHALLENGE:

Cholera is an epidemic among poor nations without the proper infrastructure for sewage and water treatment systems. Without a water treatment system, when a water source is contaminated (often by an infected person's fecal runoff) entire communities are at risk. Cholera can be easily avoided with proper hygiene practices, and by using only clean water to prepare foods or as drinking water. The majority of people are affected by cholera because they do not have access to clean water. One way to stop the spread of cholera is to cut off the source - which would involve installing the proper infrastructure for sewage water treatment systems in entire communities; a more feasible and immediate solution would be to put the onus on the individual to purify his/her own drinking/cooking water. This leads me to investigate the creation of a pre-cautionary device that can be used before ingestion along with a mechanism for treating the individual should he/she become infected, as 99% of cholera cases are recoverable when treated with ORS.