The Plus Pool

I don't want to taint this post with grumbles about how one of my favorite ideas was somehow realized by another party, but here goes. My hopes of inventing the world's first floating pool are dashed...(and not just because the clever people at Family and PlayLab have beaten me to the punch...it seems this idea has been around in some form since the early 19th century!) I am happy, though slightly dispirited, to be posting about this outstanding new campaign for a floating pool in the rivers of New York City.

Plans are still in the beginning stages, so there are a lot of important unanswered questions at this point. For example: What affect will this have on the local flora & fauna? How will it be maintained? Is it secured to the riverbed...stable and safe for members of the community? The pool water is filtered river water, is the water that re-enters the river then contaminated by cleaning chemicals or the users of the pool? How could this object be used to better the environment it occupies, can exiting water be filtered in a way that helps to purify the river and reverse the effects of earlier pollution?

You can visit their website to find out more or get involved. It is an ambitious and innovative project. I'm excited to see how it develops and how it inspires the design community.

howirichmond.com

Myself and a group of 6 other students started this website last semester in our design rebels class. A lot of revisions have been made since I left for break (I can't take credit for any of them, Mike Doughtery and Mark Luetke have been working really hard). It still needs a lot of work, design and content wise, so take a look and let me know what you think...design suggestions, content suggestions, anything. We have a meeting with BikeWalk VA in about an hour, we are trying to get the ball rolling an an alternative transportation alliance in Richmond.