Tong Hu
- Surveying and mapping of ancient buildings in the Eastern Tombs of the Qing Dynasty
- Evaluation on the design of Baby Care Rooms in Shopping Malls from the Gender Perspective： A Case Study of Tianjin, China
FAST WATER, SLOW WATER
Designing adaptive lake-edge systems that slow, filter, and reconnect polluted runoff with ecological and public life
Individual work
From January, 2026 to April, 2026
The project begins with a lakewide analysis of Lake Ronkonkoma, mapping hydrological risk, stormwater infrastructure, drainage areas, MS4 outfalls, shallow groundwater, surface water connections, and human activities. By overlaying pollution risk with patterns of public use, the shoreline is classified into different zones according to water movement, pollution exposure, and human sensitivity. This analysis identifies key inflow points and helps define two representative shoreline conditions: fast, concentrated stormwater discharge and slow, continuous shoreline accumulation.
Fast Water
The A–B segment represents the fast-water condition, where polluted runoff enters the lake quickly through a drainage channel and concentrated flow paths. This site requires a design response that can slow sudden stormwater pulses before they reach the lake. The proposal preserves the existing cattail zone and trees as natural filters, while introducing a sequence of treatment spaces: a forebay for sediment capture, a wet pool for detention, and a marsh and biofilter edge for ecological filtration. Through this process, rapid inflow is transformed into a slower, cleaner, and more controlled entry into the lake.
Slow Water
The F–G segment represents the slow-water condition, where pollutants gradually accumulate along the shoreline from residential drainage, nearby roads, parking areas, leaf litter, algae, and bird activity. Instead of responding to a single discharge point, the design creates a long, layered filtration system from land to water. A low vegetation buffer intercepts runoff, a shallow marsh zone slows and filters water, and a pebble shore transition stabilizes the edge while removing larger debris. In the lake, ecological filtration devices and multi-level public platforms extend the treatment system into the water, allowing habitat creation, water purification, and public access to coexist.