Introduction

01. Introduction

Simply, fully, purely experiencing

‘Swimming stretches my body beyond its earthly limits, helping to soothe every ache and caress every muscle. But it’s also an inward journey, a time of quiet contemplation, when, encased in an element at once hostile and familiar, I find myself at peace’ (Sherr, 2012: 5).

As a swimmer, my experience is the journey one embarks on from the moment you smell the chlorine and feel the humidity in the air, to the second you re-enter monotony of everyday life. An encapsulated stasis where time appears frozen and all vices and fears drift away, leaving one in a purely euphoric state. Pool environments provide societies with a lasting experience that rejuvenates and relaxes the body and mind, ultimately improving mental health and wellbeing.

Water plays a fundamental role which shapes the individual and collective health in both physical and imaginative forms (Foley, 2017).

Fig 01 | Through movement in water, the senses are enhanced and an experience is created (Bazyte, 2017)

The magic of the moment: the feel of the cold jet stream rushing over my skin; the ripples surrounding my outstretched shape, the tingling down my spine as my body enters the water’s still, glassy surface. Slowly, I brace myself and move deeper into the clear yet opaque water, only to feel the depth of the pool. Crisp, clear and refreshing waves swirl around my figure as I experience this new-found weightlessness which in turn awakens my body, engaging with every element that I am experiencing.

Everything that was once circling in my mind is now forgotten; it is purely a moment for reflective thinking and creativity. As I lift my hands out of the water, the sunlight glistens off my wet skin and I watch the droplets of water fall back into the silky smoothness of the pool. The all-encompassing wonder of the water overwhelms me: when in the pool, I’m in the moment.

Simply, fully, purely experiencing.

Using the architectural design of pool environments, the key aspects of water are captured and experienced through all the senses which ultimately stimulates the overall feeling of emotional wellbeing.

In education, employment and social relationships, mental health and wellbeing is a major issue across the globe, affecting people either directly or indirectly and impacting all aspects of everyday life. Both the physical and sensory connection with natural elements, for instance water, can benefit and improve mental, physical and emotional wellbeing which in turn has a positive effect on the global society.

Pool environments are key locations where water and sensory elements are integrated into the experience of a building to create a place of tranquillity for the body and mind.

Fig 02 | Key aspects of water are captured and experienced through all the senses stimulating the overall feeling of emotional wellbeing. (Author’s Own, 2020) This project explores the relationship between water, the five senses and architectural design in pool environments, and how this enhances and creates a memorable experience for the individual which in turn improves emotional wellbeing.

The following research question will be explored and answered:

Why are pool environments important to society?

In order to explore and investigate the core research question above, sub-questions will structure and form the project:

1. What senses contribute to the enhancement of pool environments?

2. How do materials and spaces of the architecture of pool environments help create an experience?

The research will focus on three main themes that have emerged throughout the literature review: materials, temperature and natural light. The relationship with water and these elements will enable a critical analysis of how architectural design stimulates sensory connections.