notes & works: a place to bathe

model
washing area

model
from above

model
detail

model

perspective
from washing area/ entrance

I wanted to create an experience that brought the sensations of a bath or outdoor swimming space to an accessible environment. I used sunlight, the sound of water moving, and forms that evoke natural bathing places to do this.

elevation
entrance wall

elevation
back wall

section cut

ceiling plan

floor plan with areas labeled

From the entrance of the bath, the first hallway to your right leads you to changing rooms.
After changing, you may enter the main pool area. First on your left is a screened area for washing. From there you may enter the indoor bath on your right or the sauna on your left. Beyond the sauna is the outdoor bath.

The pools are able to accommodate bathers in wheelchairs or on provided floats. If a float is used, it is taken into the bath in the wheelchair. When the water level is high enough to float, the wheelchair can be placed in a designated area of the pool where it can be easily accessed for exiting.

final floor plan

The floor and walls are made of concrete painted white.
Cylindrical vertical elements in pressure treated maple act as railing and provide privacy in sections of the pools.

The upper portions of the side walls are also cylindrical maple posts. There is a one foot opening between the walls and the ceiling for more light and air circulation.

The roof is maple and glass. There is no wall separating the indoor and outdoor pools. This space is open, letting in sunlight and breeze.

The water level in the baths is flush with the surrounding walkways. Grey river pebbles create a visual boarder as well as a texture that stops straying wheels. The pebbles are placed in a recess around the pools. They cover a drain system that keeps water levels even with the edge and that circulates with the washing area.

In the washing area water is pumped up through the vertical elements and either flows out on top or from wooden spouts by the seats. This water is reabsorbed in drains at the base of the vertical elements to be cleaned and used again.

process

I began with stone shapes similar to the shapes that I used in "a place to dine", Japanese Onsen baths, and childhood memories of swimming in the mountains of Tennessee. With wheelchair accessibility added, I began to sketch out topographical map-like forms.