︎Year 5
Joanna Burleigh
click images to fit screen︎︎︎

Peace in the Pipelines
Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina
Water is Bosnia’s most abundant natural resource. However, only 65% of the
population is connected to public water utilities. Consequently, substantial
international investment is pouring into Bosnia's water infrastructure sector.
Capitalising on the infrastructures’ span across geographical, political, social and
cultural spheres, the design and research outcomes speculate what a truly
‘sustainable’ water infrastructure development could contribute to the contested territory. Informed by six months of immersive fieldwork in Sarajevo whilst
collaborating with the NGOs Project 1948 and the Post-Conflict Research Centre, a three phase masterplan (2020-2035) proposes the hydrosocial typologies of a new
pipeline, fountain, pump station, reservoir and natural source. The design of this blue
civic commons network spatially addresses issues of conflicting ethno-national
governance, yearning for pre-war normality, social customs of ethnic division and dealing with individual and collective trauma. Furthermore, efforts to empower the
politically underrepresented domestic end users are explored, through sustainable
construction and maintenance rituals of earth, water, stone and woven fabric.










jcl.leigh.b@gmail.com