The Zoho Rain Letters:  Rainwater buffer and area icon in one

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We are dealing with increasingly extreme weather. Longer periods of drought alternate with large amounts of rain in a short time. The sewage system cannot always handle so much water, resulting in nuisance.

The Zohoregeletters designed by Studio Bas Sala contribute to the solution for this nuisance. They are a rainwater buffer and a signboard for the district in one. The letters Zoho refer to Zomerhofkwartier, the name for this area.

The rainwater from the roof of the Hofbogen is led to the letters and thus does not enter the sewer. The smart system in the letters looks at the weather forecast via the internet. If a heavy shower is imminent, the letters release water into the surrounding garden and thus create buffer capacity for the coming rain shower. In this way we relieve the sewer. During long periods of drought, it actually retains water to provide water to the surrounding greenery. This sustainable system also works on solar energy.

The Zoholetters were developed and built in Rotterdam. For the production, Studio Bas Sala collaborated with Wijkcooporatie Noord. This organization works with volunteers from Rotterdam North.

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