Rain barrels, garbage cans, corrugated tanks… most water collection systems have a problem: they’ve got ugly written into their DNA. An unfortunate evolution, granted that rainwater storage has been practiced for more than 2,000 years. One would have hoped for a more elegant design by now! David l’Hôte’s Rainpod prototype rises to the occasion, pledging to better your battered cans with a simple, sleek design that uses only one operating principle: gravity.
The Rainpod stands a bit taller than a person on three legs sourced from local timber. Its vaulted stature gives it enough gravitational draw and reach for just about any watering application, while an expandable screen maximizes its rain collecting radius. Its simplicity and ease of deployment would make it a great garden addition, and with a proper treatment system it could be used for applications where potable water is needed.
Hello. I’m a thesis student in New York (architecture & design) and I am proposing to use this in my year long project. Any idea how many gallons this tank can hold? Thank you.
Surely the top is open to bird droppings, leaves, insects, etc? Where are the filters? What happens when the water contents warm up and the bacteria start to really increase?
I would have thought that underground rainwater harvesters like those on http://www.oasis-rainwter-harvesting.co.uk were much safer.
how about growing plants on the tank?
My rain barrels were sourced from a local Pepsi plant, thus giving a second life to a vessel which may otherwise simply be discarded or at best, recycled. My rain barrels are white, matching the color of the bottom part of my house and are therefore barely noticeable. These things are, frankly, an eyesore.
Since when is an aged wood rain barrel ugly, I ask you?
Looks like this thing would be a mosquito farm with open top like that. Also, what about evaporative loss?