Riverscape metropark: Educating the public about the aquatic environment

Abstract

Most of the buildings people encounter simply reside in their environment with no way of being able to tell its story. They are placed in a complex landscape to fulfill a role for humanity-a passive state of being at best. A building as its basic existence must not only reside in its context and environment but should also reflect the health of that environment back to its inhabitants. Too many buildings contribute to the degradation of their context rather than contributing to it. Regardless of the individual building's contribution to its place, the inhabitants go about their lives, ignorant to either the building's impact or the subtle, often invisible changes in their environment. Such a concern takes place with the Great Miami River in downtown Dayton, Ohio. Although the river is an integral part of the city's fabric, many ot the city's inhabitants are largely unaware of its current health. To reflect the river's health back to the city and create a sense of urgency around the issue, a research facility aimed to educate the public will be proposed, making the invisible conditions ol the river visible and creates a safer, cleaner aquatic environment for all to enjoy.