Design + Innovation

Aquaponics | Ecosystem | Dissemination

 

We believe design involves rethinking relationships and systems to realize optimal results. With a focus on triple-bottomline sustainability (enhancing people, planet and profit), our work has gone beyond the drawing board to impact lives  for the better.

 

Key Design Projects:

  1. Agriculture development project Kazakhstan (Fact-finding Mission & Feasibility Study) 2013-present.
  2. Lenya School Aquaponics Project (Feasibility Study, System Design, Planning, Implementation, Monitoring & Evaluation) 2012- present.
  3. Disaster Relief Project (System Design & Planning), 2012.
  4. SPIN Center- MIT CoLab Aquaponics project (System Design, Planning & Implementation) 2010-2012.
  5. Shell Nigeria-RSUST Aquaponics Project Nigeria (Fact-finding Mission, Feasibility Study, System Design & Planning)  2009-2010.

 

1. Polluted Farming Community

e.g. Rural Niger Delta, Nigeria.

 

Environmental Challenges:

  • Oil-polluted in water and soil.

Economic Challenges:

  • Low quality local fish production.
  • High fish import prices from Europe.

Social Challenge:

  • Marginalization from oil wealth

Design Highlights:

  • Aquaponics infrastructure with temporary housing.
  • Reciprocal energy partnership with Oil Company.
  • Reincorporation of local canoe-craft and skills

 

 

2. Marginalized Rural Community

e.g Rural Lenya, Kenya.

Economic Challenges:  

  • Low employment alternatives to fishing.

Environmental Challenges:

  • Reduced natural fish stocks.
  • Seasonal draught for farming and fishing.

Social Challenge:

  • High drop-out rate from school to practice fishing.

Design Highlights:

  • Low-tech aquaponics farm; 100% locally sourced materials.
  • School partnership in training and supervising students.
  • Introducing “home-grown” innovation contests and entrepreneurship at school.
  • Creation of community education hub.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

3. Post-Disaster Community

e.g. Semi-urban refugee camp, Mali .

 

Economic Challenges:

  • Low employment opportunity

 Environmental Challenges:

  • Intense Drought
  • Natural disaster

Social Challenge:

  • Need for community center for food distribution and water collection.

Design Highlights:

  • Disaster relief appropriate, easily deployable with shipping container.
  • Off-grid power source (solar power).
  • Rainwater collection on-site.

 

4. Income Diversification Community

e.g Semi-rural South Kazakhstan.

 

Economic Challenges:

  • Concentrated income source
  • High unemployment
  • Seeking sustainable food security measures.

 Environmental Challenge:

  • Extreme climatic condititions.

 Social Challenge:

  • Tentative community cohesion.

Fact-finding mission:

  • Evaluating resource availability.
  • Identifying potential local partnerships.
  • Understanding client socioeconomic context.
  • Assessing value-added enterprises.
  • Documenting local construction techniques.

Outcome:

  • Fact-finding report (in progress).
  • Kazakhstan Ecosystem design proposal