Common Water: Towards Public Stewardship and River Restoration
How can the River Ehen be used to challenge our current relationship with water and systems of ownership, promoting a rediscovery of river culture that includes restoration and stewardship?
The physical modification of rivers are intrinsically linked to local development and culture, yet have failed to adopt a symbiotic relationship with the river and its inhabitants. Through a study of how societies have interacted and managed water throughout history, the key phases of emergence, growth and decline are materialised and subsequently raised the question of how a new phase of rediscovery can be introduced.
The privatisation of the water industry in the UK has had a catastrophic impact on our relationship with waterways and their overall health, though a lack of accountability from polluters and poachers, and unnecessary disagreement between users. This thesis project aims to respond to these current challenges by providing a river-scale masterplan prioritising spaces for restoration and access, acting as a transition between perceptions of rivers and political reform.
In the context of the climate crisis, the scheme proposes not just a new way of building within the river ecosystem but advocates a resilient approach towards community engagement that leaves an impactful non-architectural legacy.
