The American Farm School located in Thessaloniki, Greece
Opportunities and constraints for campus
Master runnel network with corresponding cistern locations
Bioswale transformation
WATER THE FARM
In response to the pressing need for sustainable water management at the American Farm School amidst increasing aridification, our team embarked on a six-week mission. Through rigorous analysis and collaboration, we crafted a holistic rainwater harvesting strategy. Our mission: to conserve water, enhance campus beauty, and celebrate Greece’s biodiversity, ensuring the school’s survival while embodying our commitment to environmental stewardship.
To address these challenges, we developed a strategic plan centered on the creation of a larger interconnected runnel network. This network serves to effectively trap and reroute water throughout the site. Crucially, it directs flow towards the largest flooding pond on the south side, which we proposed to convert into a bioswale. This transformation not only mitigates flooding but also facilitates water recharge, offering a sustainable solution to the campus’s drainage problems while enhancing its environmental resilience.