As part of the BIP (Blended Intensive Program), a group of international students came together in Thuin, Belgium, to take a closer look at the severely contaminated river La Chambre, whose waters have long been deemed unsafe for direct contact. Over the course of a week, we collectively explored the environmental, social, and historical dimensions of the site, combining research with hands-on design and building.

The final installation was a simple yet powerful gesture: a structure that draws water from the river and heats it to eliminate bacteria, turning it into a temporary hot water bath. This offered a hedonistic and symbolic moment of re-encounter with the river, an invitation to experience, reclaim, and reimagine a flow of water that had become physically and culturally inaccessible. Through this small act, we challenged ideas of pollution, care, and the right to engage with our immediate natural environments.