The Practice of Three Waters.

Abstract

In 1325, the Mexicas arrived at the Valley of Mexico to form their society on a constructed island in the center of a system of lakes. This society formed a set of cultural, ritual, and infrastructural practices that embodied the Three Waters of the Valley they called home: Drinking Water, Sweet Water, and Salty Water. Today, the lakes have disappeared, the city has grown exponentially, and the practices associated with each of the Three Waters are no longer observed. As a result, Mexico City is thirsty, dormant, and sinking. This project proposes three interdisciplinary practices that aim to reconnect the contemporary urban form with the hydrological cycle of its place. A community rain catchment and cistern system reconnects Drinking Water with Sky. A water treatment fabric reconnects Sweet Water with Surface. A series of infiltration wells reconnect Salty Water with Earth. Together, these three proposals constitute a contemporary practice of Three Waters.