How can we reimagine a river’s legacy of public health and community through the creation of public infrastructures?

The first step to understanding the relationships between Stony Brook and the subsequent communities was to map the river over the years as well as the culvert. Using atlases dating back to the 1860s and modern maps gave a clear picture of the path and the history of the river.

Next step was to assess how people use water infrastructure, specifically, how residents used public water infrastructures and waterways. Jamaica Pond became an integral source of research, as Southwest Corridor residents favored the pond as a place to linger more than the corridor. Interviews and observations attributed the reasoning for choosing the pond, and subsequently needs of a successful water infrastructure, to be due to water as a source of respite, ecology, integration, and gathering. These attributes were then able to become guiding design principles for design of a new infrastructure.

After developing design criterion and using sites uncovered through the archival mapping of the river, site observation was conducted to assess the needs of each site and how they aligned with the design criterion. This allowed for the refinement and focus of design on each of the sites.

The design of the overall infrastructure was influenced by the current infrastructures which supply water: pipes. Connecting the installation to existing water infrastructures such as standpipes and fire hydrants allows ease of use and accessibility to all. The installations then use similar components, designed through PVC piping, to create structure which adapts to the needs of the site and residents surrounding.

Keep scrolling to see the final presentation, and how I created a working prototype!