Water works

This design research focuses on finding solutions for reducing the detrimental contributions that combined sewer system overflows have on the health of urban waterways and their respective watersheds at large. It is the standpoint of this research that such water purifying landscapes can be directly integrated into public urban environments and need not be restricted and hidden from civic observation. The focus lies on utilizing existing green-grey infrastructural knowledge to treat combined sewer overflow waters and apply it within a proposed Water Works Park within a City of Winnipeg neighbourhood. The Water Works Park will be presented in the form of a hybridized urban space offering both infrastructural and ecological services but will also be one that promotes ecological attentiveness and the enduring value of water treatment. The design presents an alternative to contemporary sewer upgrade and replacement practices by offering a more ecologically oriented option through the thoughtful placement of a constructed wetland network. In establishing the project within a mature neighbourhood, the project strives to recognize its historical urban context and compliment the existing local vernacular while serving as a tool to foster public education and awareness.