therapy

As architects and environmental artists, Suzanne and Ron Dirsmith have always taken pride in creating spaces that nurture the spirit, mind and body. In one recent project, however, they went several steps beyond that in setting up a watershape for a special child who uses water exercise to gain strength, flexibility and freedom. Here’s a look at how they accommodated his needs – and learned a great deal about the healing power of water in the process.

Helping Hands

The notion that water can be used to treat physical problems and conditions is not new. In fact, when you study the history of watershaping and aquatic design, one of the first things you learn is that the ancient Romans might actually have had a better grip on the healing and nurturing powers of water than we ever will. In our own work in designing and installing environments that nurture the spirit and invigorate the body, we pursue that Roman heritage as best we can - and always keep water in mind as a key component. The project described in this article stands as one our most dramatic explorations of the curative power of water to date. The pool, spa and