Public Showers

About

A civic solution to water poverty

In 2018, about 18,000 households in Detroit had their water shut off as they were unable to afford to pay their water bills. Aside from the serious health risk that this situation poses, water shut-off can also have negative psychological repercussions as people are no longer able to maintain basic personal hygiene. Public Showers offers a sustainable civic solution by inserting public showers within vacant lots throughout the city. The complex consists of three rainwater collectors, two shower rooms and a vending machine with basic toiletries. The filter system is constructed of brick masonry, filleted by pebbles, gravel and sand to naturally clean rainwater. Its wide entrance allows for a maximum amount of rainwater to be gathered, while its position on top of the tank means it is too high to be reached and possibly damaged.