Thesis Highlights

"The Decentralized Self-Healing Village"

Azadeh Raoufi, 2022

"The Decentralized Self-Healing Village: Proposing solutions for Maksar village's water problems, Ahvaz city, Iran"

Iran has been dealing with water stress in the past decade. Paradoxically, one of its most water-resourceful provinces suffers from flood and water scarcity. Ahvaz and its rural villages in Khuzestan, where the Karun, the largest river in the country, passes through, face both floods and droughts due to failed governmental interventions, overexploitation of groundwater, and rainfall fluctuations leading to an unsustainable situation for the community and the environment.

The thesis proposes a water management strategy to address the paradox in one of Ahvaz’s rural districts. It applies the theory of norm shift, considering the community’s ancestorial expertise in resource preservation and fighting droughts with floods. The goal is to develop a bottom-up, decentralized approach to address the complex socio-cultural and environmental conditions with minimum government intervention, using local materials and vernacular architecture.  

Based on a careful study of the site’s micro-topology, a drainage network is designed for controlled detention and retention of floodwater in the agricultural lands. It employs the ancient water collection method (Gourab in Persian) and the preservation method (Cistern: Ab Anbar in Persian). The cistern complex provides year-round potable water and a community oasis where a comfortable micro-climate is produced. The result heals human-induced environmental damage by promoting local expertise and enabling the natural capital. 

WORK