WHERE WATER WORKS: An Educational Approach to Public Infrastructure

Abstract

Many water infrastructure sites remain physically isolated from the public, despite continuing to serve essential environmental functions. These spaces are often situated between urban and rural areas, yet they remain disconnected from both. This project explores how architectural intervention can support restoration and public connection at a site shaped by ecological systems. By building on existing infrastructure, the design introduces environmental learning to a previously inaccessible shoreline. The proposal includes public gathering spaces, educational rooms, and walking paths that follow water movement across the site. These spaces encourage a deeper awareness of the systems that treat and return water to the land. The project reframes infrastructure as part of a shared civic experience and strengthens the relationship between people and water by making environmental systems accessible.