Water works: Eco-social design

Water is a central concern in the ecological and social issues that we are faced with, and technical solutions do not suffice. We need a radically diverse approach that stages and cultivates relations. Without promising grandiose schemes to save the environment, ecosocial design fosters curiosity about the ways in which people draw on their experience and shared commitment to landscapes and ecologies.

Through a collection of essays and case studies, Water Works shows over sixty careful responses to flooding, draught, pollution, extraction and other issues around freshwater. Divided into seven themes: Purity, Wild, Scale, Representation, Violence, Infrastructure and Commerce, Water Works allows us to learn from places and makers that build on the intricate relationships between people and other life forms, materials and (infra)structures.

Henriëtte Waal & Clemens Driessen, editors

Valiz, 2025

24 X 16.5 cm, 448 pages