Water Connect - MU : agence d'éco-conception

Design of the Mât Source cooler island

For WaterConnect in 2020

Water Connect is an innovative company that specialises in the design and creation of connected, playful and environmentally friendly cooler islands. Its ambition is to be a key player in the fight against extreme heatwaves and urban heat islands (UHIs). The goal is to participate in building the sustainable cities of tomorrow.
Water Connect won the first edition of the Water Innovation Challenge (Défi Innovation Eau) in Paris. It wanted to provide a response to Section 2 (Challenge No 2: Inventing the universal water fountain of the 21st century) of the 2020 edition.
In the context of this competition, Water Connect called upon Coopérative Mu to design the water fountain of the 21st century, incorporating the environmental aspect and a universal design into the concept.

Analysis of the environmental and material issues for a water fountain
Analysis of design issues (universal design, usage, ergonomics, style, functional and technical)
Formalisation of the selected concept by integrating user data and good eco-design practices to ensure the environmental relevance of the chosen solution
Production of communication visuals and realistic renderings to enhance design work.

To identify the eco-design and universal design issues of a water fountain in an urban setting
To propose a concept integrating eco-design, style, use and ergonomics issues in their design together with a universal design
To formalise the concept and provide elements in relation to the eco-design approach.

The “Mât Source” concept won the “Universal Water Fountain of the 21st century” competition of the Paris water authority, Eau de Paris.
The first Mât Source® universal water fountain was installed at 10 rue Émile Blémont in the 18th arrondissement of Paris on December 2021. A total of 10 water fountains have been installed in 2022.
A drinking fountain for all – adults, children, disabled people and even pets – and also equipped with a bottle filling system, the Mât Source® model chosen by the Paris city authorities will also allow for cooling in periods of hot weather thanks to its integrated misting.
The water fountains are also accessible to visually impaired people, with instructions in Braille.
As it is online, the Mât Source® universal water fountain allows the Paris water authority, Eau de Paris, to control it remotely (temperature readings, water consumption readings.