Scope: 3B Final Project
Supervisor: Christie Pearson
Year: 2020
Tools: Rhino | V-Ray | Illustrator | Photoshop | InDesign
Recognition: 3B Design Award

A Montreal relic, built in concert with many cities in the early 1900’s as a public service to increase hygiene access and the local quality of life.

After falling into disuse as personal hygiene became a part of the home, the concrete and brick building had been repurposed to an event space by a local artist’s group. The culture of public bathing was lost.

Regeneration proposes a return to the culture of the public bath and acts as a flight of the world’s bathing types: hot and cold mineral baths, wet and dry saunas, mud bathing, ablution and swimming pools: thermally and experientially varied for any preference. The bathhouse has been stripped down to bare materials and structureThe barriers to authentic experience are leveled; there are no tricks to relaxation.

Sustainable Heating

With environmental concerns for the constant heating of the bath waters, the building was arranged based on a geothermal system of heating and water reuse. Geothermal heating is based on the difference of temperature within the earth, the waters flow from the hot pools above and are reused in the lower floor cold baths once cooled. This system creates a closed loop of use and through filtering and water-quality management, results in a much more sustainable bath than ever before.

POOL - DAY AND NIGHT

Not to sacrifice the current artistic and musical events in the space, the proposed renovation attempts to keep cultural programming in the pool after hours: now adding the possibility of dry and wet programs.

Events such as soundscape baths and bathing-raves are welcomed and center the Bain Matthieu as a twenty-four hour cultural hub.