Refuge In The Water

• Type

  Installation

• Location

  Toronto, Canada

• Year

  2023

Refuge In The Water brings the outdoors in and offers a pause with nature.

World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that 25 per cent of the population suffers from psychological and mental distress, and preliminary evidence suggests that aquatic environments and riparian areas (vegetation growing along the edge of water) can benefit psychological and mental wellbeing. A design framework for therapeutic waterscapes was proposed, which highlighted accessibility, versatility, habitats and biodiversity.*

Enter The Gallery at Mason Studio and you will be welcomed by a flooded pond, plants and an earthy pathway. The installation is comprised of a small, accessible material list that could be found at a garden centre: cedar mulch, water, garbage bags, pond liner, tape, plastic basin, moss, rocks, plants from Mason Studio and a balloon dog for playful measure. All will be repurposed for future projects, from landscaping to functional use around the studio.

Refuge In The Water is intended to fluctuate and take shape by all who visit Mason Studio and grace its landscape. Evoking awe and curiosity, let it inspire you to take a moment and embrace your surroundings. Designed and built by the Mason Studio team, the installation is an extension of Refuge In The Sky, a 2022 project comprised of a seven-foot floating island of lush and living greenery within the atrium. It focused on the ways nature encourages mindfulness around interior spaces, and how they make us feel. For its flowing counterpart, the team drew inspiration from research around the natural bodies of water that impacted wellness the most.

From the crunch beneath your feet, the cedar aroma, calming water, flora and fauna – it’s best experienced in-person.

• (November 2021) International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, Waterscapes for Promoting Mental Health in the General Population. Source: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/18/22/11792