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Mark

New Public Hydrant — A/D/O, 2018
Earlier work in the series · Water Futures, Brooklyn

Developed by Tei Carpenter and Chris Woebken for the Water Futures research program at A/D/O, the first New Public Hydrant series explored how emergency water infrastructure could also support everyday drinking, cooling and gathering.

Three attachments used familiar pipes and valves to propose new encounters with public water: a cooling canopy, a bottle-filling station and a fountain shared by people and other species.

Axonometric street drawing around A/D/O showing the three hydrant proposals in the neighborhood.
Street drawing: the three proposals imagined around A/D/O, Greenpoint, Brooklyn. Select the drawing to view it at full size.

Three proposals for public water

Animated drawing of a hydrant sprinkler creating a water canopy above people on the sidewalk.
Hydration Space
A sprinkler canopy creates a place to cool down and gather.
Animated drawing of a bottle-filling attachment connected to a fire hydrant.
Hydrant on Tap
A bottle-filling station proposes a footprint receipt connecting local refills to the effects of disposable bottles.
Animated drawing of a hydrant fountain with drinking bowls at several heights for people and other species.
Hydrants for All
A fountain offers water at different heights for people, pets and birds.

Hydrant drawings
Exploded views and plans of the three attachments, 2018. Select each drawing to view it at full size.

Technical drawing with plan and exploded view of Hydration Space.
Hydration Space
Technical drawing with plan and exploded view of Hydrant on Tap.
Hydrant on Tap
Technical drawing with plan and exploded view of Hydrant for All.
Hydrant for All

From drawing to prototype

The working prototypes were tested at Brooklyn Navy Yard in 2018. These supervised experiments explored the proposals at full scale.

A working Hydration Space prototype sprays water over a sidewalk at Brooklyn Navy Yard.
Hydration Space, Brooklyn Navy Yard, 2018.
A person refills a bottle from the blue Hydrant on Tap prototype.
Hydrant on Tap in use, 2018.
A dog drinks from the lowest bowl of the blue multispecies hydrant attachment.
Hydrants for All in use, 2018.

Credits
Commissioned by Jane Withers for the A/D/O Water Futures Research Program, 2018.
Project team: Tei Carpenter, Chris Woebken, Arianna Deane, Ashley Kuo and Zeynep Ugur.
Support: Columbia GSAPP Waste Initiative and A Good Plumber, Inc.
Drawings, animations and prototype photographs: Tei Carpenter / Chris Woebken.

Further reading
The New Public Water, Tei Carpenter and Christopher Woebken, Urban Omnibus, January 9, 2019.
A brilliant hack for New York City’s water hydrants, Aileen Kwun, Fast Company, November 16, 2018.

Continue to the Water Is… workshop and MoMA iteration →
Follow-up: Designing in public, toward policy →