Description

CLOUD HOUSE is a unique rain harvesting system that creatively reuses the rainwater it collects to provide a deeper look into the natural systems that give us the food we eat. It is a sensory experience that amplifies the connection between our existence and the natural world.

On rainy days, a gutter system collects rain that hits the roof and directs it to storage tank underneath the house. Sitting in the rocking chairs triggers a pump that brings the collected rainwater up into the ‘cloud’ to drop onto the roof, producing that warm pleasant sound of rain on a tin roof. At the same time, rainwater drops from the tops of the windows onto the edible plants growing in the windowsills.

Designed to collect and store rainwater for the ‘cloud’ to rain, this display of the water-cycle illustrates our fragile dependence on the natural systems that grow the food we eat, and at points throughout the year when there is low rainfall, the ‘cloud’ will not rain on the roof because it is simply out of water.

CLOUS HOUSE is clad with barn wood and tin reclaimed from a nearby abandoned farm by group of Amish builders. With rocking chairs on a barn wood floor, the sound of rain on a tin roof, and rain drops bringing the necessary elements for plants growing in the window sills, the look and feel of CLOUD HOUSE is the epitome of a rural farm experience from simpler times, and creates a space to reflect on the natural processes of food production.

Located at Springfield, MO’s largest farmers market, CLOUD HOUSE is a poetic counterpoint to the well-attended market and offers a meditative moment to slow down, enjoy the fresh edible plants, and listen to rain on a tin roof.

Designed

2015

Completed

2016

Technical data

26 feet tall
17 feet wide
17 feet deep

Materials:
House - reclaimed local barn wood, steel,
Cloud - created from scanning a maquette designed by Sujin Lim, which was then routed and assembled in 17 parts around an aluminum armature, seamed and hardshelled with Acrylic One resin. It weighs 2,000 Pounds or 1 Ton, and took 1,200 man hours to make and clear coat.
Water System - 500 gallon rain water storage tank under the house, pump triggered by sitting in rocking chairs, 1000 holes in cloud with individual piping

Project team

Matthew Mazzotta - Lead Artist | Matt OReilly at Green Circle Projects - Developer | Patricia Lea Watts, Curator - Project Manager | Jeff Broekhoven - Artistic Advising | Sujin Lim - Cloud Design | Ben Jennings - Structural Engineer | Sue Evans and Kenny Underwood at Elemoose - Cloud Construction | Steve Wilson at Wilson Creek Rustic Furniture - Footings/Piers | Richard Thompson at CHR Metals - Steel Framing | Aaron Sampson at SamCo Construction LLC - Barn Wood Siding and Tin Roof | Omar Galal and John Walker at Rain Reserve - Water System | Bryan Simmons at A Cut Above, - Landscaping
Jeff Shelton Outdoor Lawn Service, Gravel
Pam Bachus, Picky Sisters, Rocking Chairs and Table
Tim Hawley, Photography