Fluid Freedom: An Empathetic Pool Design Empowering a Client with Multiple Sclerosis

This paper is a case study, which reflects on the intricate process of crafting a specialised private training pool. The client developed multiple sclerosis more than a decade ago. The pool is housed in an extension to the client’s home in London. Its main function is to train walking and exercising her leg muscles to maintain her current condition and prevent deterioration. This paper explores the multifaceted journey of delivering a pool that embraces a holistic approach and encompasses the physical, psychological, and aesthetic dimensions of the client’s needs. To reflect on these important issues, it draws on an interview with the client, where the project as well as topics beyond the pool – such as wider lived experience and challenges related to perception and agency – were discussed. Acutely aware that the built environment has actively contributed to the creation of systemic barriers hindering participation and inclusion for many disabled persons, the article critically considers space, architectural detailing, and the design process as crucial sites of opportunity offering the chance to address inequality, to promote confidence, resilience, and glamour, and to advocate for cultural and structural change.