Reimagining Lemieux Island (Ridthiprasart 2020)

This thesis explores the preservation and adaptive re-use of Ottawa’s Lemieux Island Water Purification Plant, incorporating three new programs – biological water purification, aquaponics, and water-based recreation. Extreme weather conditions that lead to flooding in the Ottawa River basin, along with the public’s accessibility to new options in water treatment in the future, may mean that the original function of the plant will become obsolete, offering opportunities for the facilities to be repurposed for public use. The proposed designs in the preserved, historical settling and filtering buildings will combine Dr. John Todd’s Living Machines systems for bioremediation of Ottawa River’s water, with natural swimming pools and aquaponics, while fostering education in sustainable water use and water filtration methods.