The project Rewilding Balance explores an architecture that emphasises embodied and environmental balance as a central component to design of our built environments.

The scheme proposes the rewilding of the culverted Pymmes Brook on the outskirts of London, through a flood mitigation strategy for the region. The re-naturalised landscape would act as a seasonal floodplain and become the site for a marshes bath and lido. The lido, as well as providing bathing facilities, choreographs a series of balancing acts that re-engage an individual’s physicality and proprioceptive senses to champion cognitive reserves. Further, a sequence of water pool plantings release oxygen from their roots that attract bacteria used to break down and consume pollutants. Humans also play a role in this act, as our skin contains nutrients absorbed by plants. To maintain this purification equilibrium there is a daily capacity of 250 people, which if exceeded would affect the buoyancy of the main lido.