Reclaiming rivers with architecture

Rivers have had a critical role in human history, civilizations have started near rivers, major cities across the world have been built around rivers, and rivers have played a large part in human and material transportation. Now it seems like people have lost interest in the overall health of rivers. They allow large amounts of pollution and runoff to infest the river’s water and ecosystems. This project aims to reduce the harmful effects that the pollution is having on the river and its ecosystems, while also educating and inspiring the public to protect the river. The project is in Fort Wayne, Indiana, on the Maumee River near downtown. The built project, along with the site design, helps to de-pollute river water. The design of the architecture is inspired by log jams that occur in the nearby dam. This inspiration has created an architectural language that is rectilinear, framing key moments. These key moments are part of the filtration process occurring on the site, framing these moments will educate and inspire the public as they explore the project.