About

Bathing House is an art and architecture platform to explore the relationship between water and architecture.

Bathing House draws on the fields of art, architecture, urbanism, design, craftsmanship, performance and research to explore romantic speculations of water and the city. Projects involve inventive modes of conversation to engage the public in discourse on architecture and our environment.

Bathing House title stems from the concept of a building that bathes, and reflects an enchantment with designing spaces for bathing. Projects sometimes don’t feature water at all yet employ the concept of bathing as taking the time to indulge in thinking, reflecting and basking in elemental matter for the sake of well-being.

Projects reflect upon the practicalities of water in the city or the landscape and the need to employ an environmentally cohesive approach to water infrastructure for energy-saving and energy generation, flood mitigation, rain-water collection, localised filtration and re-use and drinking water supply. These functions are viewed with potential for making spaces of wonder and delight.

Bathing House projects have been exhibited at The Design Museum, Somerset House and the Totally Thames Festival.

Bathing House was founded by Architect Geraldine Holland following her Masters thesis of the same title from the Bartlett School of Architecture, UCL in 2011. 

Geraldine Holland:

Geraldine works at Fereday Pollard Architects on nationally significant projects involving water, focussing on the spatial experiences for people and for nature. Geraldine has worked at various progressive architecture practices that have a social and environmental agenda with projects in the landscape and the city, including Mador Architects, Baca Architects, 5th Studio and Jan Kattein Architects. 

A dynamic practitioner, Geraldine’s career has led to her working on multidisciplinary projects at multiple scales from masterplanning to physical built installations or objects at 1:1. She co-founded Make Do and Draw, an art and architecture studio for engaging local communities in conversations about architecture and the city through making. Clients included The V&A, The Turner Contemporary and Now Gallery. Geraldine has taught art, design and architecture at the London Metropolitan University, Central Saint Martins, UAL, Dartmoor Arts and University of East London. She has contributed at conferences including Watermarks for RSAW and Cities from the Sea, Naples. Geraldine carries out ongoing research into the phenomenology of water through Bathing House projects, sailing and swimming, drawing and making.