Hong Kong architecture studio Orient Occident Atelier has designed a civic centre that harvests water for the small Cambodian village of Sneung.
Called WaterHall, the 60-square-metre complex consists of two structures built in loose, honeycomb brickwork.
One building is entirely closed to the public in order to preserve the interior pump, which brings water in from a nearby lake using a system of underground pipes, and the water filtration system through which it is purified.

The other building is an open hall, with an inner and outer half-wall, and a concave metal roof supported by concrete pillars. This was designed to funnel rainwater into a traditional ceramic vessel at the centre of the structure.
Its concrete floor is recessed to create a kind of simplified amphitheatre that provides locals with a space for gatherings and community festivities.
The aim is to create a more reliable supply of drinking water for the local community, which, according to Orient Occident Atelier, has so far been entirely reliant on polluted wells and a nearby lake that is dry for half of the year.
Cambodia has been identified as one of the countries that is most vulnerable to the effects of global warming, with shifting rainfall patterns causing longer droughts, shorter rainy seasons and occasional flash floods that threaten the water security of its people.

WaterHall hopes to diversify Sneung's water supply by providing fresh rainwater that can be scooped up using ceramic jugs as well a...