Concave Roofs Harvest Rainwater for Hot, Dry Climates

BMDesign Studios takes the issue of water scarcity, and flips it on it’s head… But seriously, this innovative design acts as a natural water harvesting device, using a simple concave form. Small raindrops coalesce into larger ones, and the resulting rainfall collects quickly.  In addition, the bowled roof creates additional shade for the building below it, reducing surface temperatures, and decreasing the need for air conditioning.

From Treehugger:

For a prototype of a school building with 923 square metres (9,935 square feet) of concave roof, it is estimated that 28 cubic metres (7,396 gallons) of water would be collected — the architects say that’s about a 60 percent rate of efficiency

Click the images for a more detailed look.