Left. As part ofan international building exhibition project, 106 apartments were created, attached to older housing blocks, forming an expansive courtyard and natural water collection and treatment system. Over a square kilometer of greened roofs help the local microclimate by retaintrig approximately 70% ofthe rain water falling on them, and filtering the overflow that drops down to the rain water collection pond, right top. All rain water is retained on site, kept in a natural pond surrounding structured wastewater ponds. These central ponds .use a wide variety ofplants to filter greywater coming from the apartments. Some ofthe treated water is fed into the g~ound and the rest makes its way back into the apartments' greywater systems. The fain water pond has a natural edge and is planted, making it attractive and drawing people into contact with the water's edge, right m"iddle. The residents have many opportunities to come in contact with the water in various ways, and since the design is meant to make the treatment of 1 water visible and comprehensible, they become naturally familiar with water issues. The complex'open spaces offer a range ofpleasant experiences, and are used intensively for both spontaneous and planned affairs. At right bottom, kids from the neighborhood school have gatheredfor a party._The social and ecological aspects of the experimental design complement each other_, creating a community·both more self-s11fficient and mutually supportive. currently available water-saving technologies, decentralized biological treatment systems and water recycling in inner-city areas-? 2. How might the behavior of the residents develop towards supporting water conservation?'How do residents react to a simultaneous offering of environmental information programs and user-friendly system designs? 3. What quality bf treatment can be achieved by a decentralized, biological water system? Is such a system appropriate for urban areas, and what are preferred locations for its application? Block 6' s water systems were built with the financial support of federal RAIN Summ~r 1994 Volume XIV, Number4 Page25
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