Prepared by Elena Dobrovolskaya, a student of group B-111
Abstract on the topic «+POOL»
What is +POOL?
+ POOL is a plus-shaped, waterfiltering, floating swimming pool, designed
to filter the very river that it floats in
through the walls of the pool, making it
possible for New Yorkers and its visitors to
swim in clean river water. + POOL strives
to reclaim the river as a recreational
resource for the city, while educating the
public about issues affecting our water
quality.
Why a pool?
New York is an incredible
place to live. You can do almost
anything here. Anything, except
swim in the river. Manhattan is an
island — literally surrounded by
water — but we haven’t been able
to swim safely in the river for
decades. It started with a simple
idea: instead of trying to clean the
entire river, what if you started by
cleaning it piece by piece? And what
if you could change how New
Yorkers see their rivers, just by
giving them a chance to swim in it? + POOL will clean more than 600,000 gallons of river water
every single day. No chemicals, no chlorine, just natural river water.
Why a non-profit?
When the pool opens, it will be the first
time New Yorkers will be able to swim directly
in their river since 1938. This experience
should be available to everyone. Following in
the footsteps of innovative public/private
projects such as HighLine, they created Friends
of + POOL, a 501c3 non-profit organization, to
ensure that it benefits society in the best
possible way.
Their non-profit organization supports
the development and subsequent operation and
maintenance of the BASIN, but was also founded to support the conservation, restoration, and
conservation of natural bodies of water, promote water management, and educate the public
about the importance of clean water.
DESIGN
How is it designed?
+ POOL is for everyone, which is
why it’s designed as four pools in one: a
Kid’s pool, Sports pool, Lap pool and
Lounge pool. Each can be used
independently to cater to all types of
swimmers, combined to form an Olympiclength lap pool, or opened completely into a
9,000 square foot pool for play. Its
universally recognizable shape and unusual
offshore siting immediately
position + POOL as an iconic
piece of public infrastructure.
Like a giant strainer dropped in the
river, + POOL filters river water within its
walls, removing bacteria, contaminants and
odors, leaving only safe, swimmable water
that meets local and state standards.
What have we done?
They worked with Arup engineers to study the structure, mechanics, and filtration
systems, as well as with environmental consultants One Nature, to maximize the POOL's
environmental benefits. They spent six weeks at the East River pier testing various filter
materials, and learned about enterococci and fecal coliforms from professors at Columbia
University's Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory. They worked with innovative designers at
IDEO and naval architects Persak & Wurmfeld to design the floating POOL structure. They
tested the complete filtration system in the harbor for five months and proved that our filtration
concept works. They filed a preliminary patent. They studied the feasibility of various sites with
McLaren Engineering marine engineers across the harbour to understand what physical
conditions are ideal for a pool. And they received the support of city and state agencies, open
water swimmers, waterfront advocacy organizations, and over 5,000 incredible supporters who
pledged money through Kickstarter, events, and their nonprofit organization!
Where are they now?
They are currently working with the
Mayor's Office to determine a home for the
POOL. This is a crazy process and takes much
longer than they might think, given that there
are many stakeholders involved in coastal real
estate. Once they have access to the facility,
we will be able to prepare the design and
construction documentation, apply for
permits, and start construction!