DUST WEAVER

Idea projektu

This project aims to transform the environmental pollution caused by granite dust in Aswan into a productive resource that improves public health and revives local craftsmanship. The concept uses vertical cylinders wrapped in electrostatically charged fabric to capture airborne dust at optimal wind heights between 30 and 50 meters. Once collected, the dust is processed into fibers and woven into cooling textiles, such as shawls and jalabiyas, which reduce body temperature by 5–7°C—enhancing outdoor comfort for Aswan’s residents. The project also includes a craft market to sell these products, merging environmental intervention with cultural revival, and offering an architectural model that responds to climatic, social, and economic challenges.

Popis projektu

Dust Weaver offers an integrated architectural solution to Aswan’s granite dust pollution through an environmentally responsive system that merges functional design with passive climate strategies. The project features timber cylinders wrapped in electrostatically charged fabric to passively collect airborne dust. These are linked to a cleaning and drying mechanism that allows continuous reuse of the fabric. The collected dust is processed into fibers, which are then used to produce cooling textiles that are displayed and sold in the project's central fabric market. The scope of the project includes dust collection, fiber production, architectural space-making, and cultural revitalization—positioning Dust Weaver as a model that connects architecture with health, economy, and environment.

Technické informace

The project occupies a 9,000 m² site with a maximum built-up footprint of 25% and building heights reaching 20 meters. The system includes 40-meter-high, 15-meter-diameter cylinders made of lightweight timber framing supported by a central concrete core. These cylinders are wrapped with electrostatically charged fabric that captures airborne dust at optimal heights between 30 and 50 meters. When the fabric is saturated, it descends into a cleaning chamber where it is washed by water jets and dried by heated rollers. The dust-laden water is channeled into a main stream leading to a sedimentation chamber for particle separation. The resulting fibers are processed into cooling textiles and showcased in the central market. The project uses passive ventilation strategies and local materials—stone for buildings and timber for cylinders—with structural systems based on central columns and circular slabs supported by radial beams.