A Manual for Extraction
by Manavi Dixit (MArch 2026)
Manavi Dixit is a registered Architect from India. Her focus lies in the exploration and the derivation of architecture along with programmatic functionality through new age materials. She believes that materials act as the quintessential bridge that connects the social needs and the environmental challenges that are posed to our physical infrastructures and emerging densities. She aims to focus on material exploration, prototyping and innovation in this field. She believes in creating spaces that not only benefit the occupants but also the environment and society at large.
Techniques of Resistance is a collaborative archive of communal construction practices. It displays a heterogeneous collection of vernaculars, indigenous, and popular ways of doing things, ranging from large buildings to small devices.
This project starts by examining three water collection systems—the Atrapaneiblas/ fog catchers in Chile, the Ice Stupa in India, and the Puquios in Peru—drawing inspiration from water harvesting and collecting as an act of resistance.
The Lithium Triangle in South America holds over half the world’s lithium reserves in ancient underground water, essential for electric vehicles and renewable energy. However, lithium mining depletes these water sources, threatening salt flats, wetlands, and local ecosystems. Mining industries consume up to 80% of available water, leaving little for agriculture and domestic use. A 2020 UN report found that mining around the Atacama Salt Flat caused groundwater depletion and forced communities to abandon ancestral settlements.
“The Manual for Extraction” serves as a guide for resisting the extractive and invasive mining industry. The manual enables communities to deploy fog catchers, reclaiming the water that is rightfully theirs. These devices can be assembled and put to work within hours. Over the course of weeks, the process establishes territorial boundaries around the mines, marking the reclaimed land with the colors of the Atacama. Over time, these boundaries are redefined as their own. A dual strategy supports this reclamation:
Fog Catchers – Adjustable structures collect water from fog and lithium evaporation cycles. Anchored by water storage tanks, they are easily assembled and relocated, restoring water access to local communities.
Rammed Earth Blocks – Formed from Atacama soil, these structures define protest spaces, gathering areas, and boundaries around mines. By reclaiming land and resources, the project empowers local communities and counters extractive practices that threaten fragile ecosystems.
Workshop by Rocio Crosetto Brizzio
