HYDRO DWELLING

This project explores how architecture can capture the boundless qualities of water through spatial integration within a reimagined water treatment facility in Knoxville, Tennessee. Drawing on gravity-based systems, exaggerated water movements, and antique transport methods, the design emphasizes seamless transitions and warped architectural forms that shape ritualistic experiences. Set at the historic Mark B. Whitaker Water Treatment Plant along the Tennessee River, the project responds to the site’s Tudor-style architecture and filtration systems, intertwining water and built form in meaningful ways. Spatial episodes—such as cascading scaffolds evoking waterfalls, a semi-flooded “aquatic sanctum” for interactive ritual, and warped brickwork channeling water through gravity—invite visitors to reflect, meditate, and engage with water as both infrastructure and experience. By transforming the treatment plant into a visible, interactive, and tranquil environment, the design reframes water not only as utility but as a dynamic presence that enhances daily life and fosters deeper human connection.