Loch pollution is a prevalent issue in Scotland with most waterbodies declining in water quality. Loch Ailort is one of these with research from Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) indicating the presence of sewage waste and fish farm discharge. This is due to unregulated waste disposal into rivers and loch’s causing permanent damage to numbers of fish populations and other marine life. Loch Ailort is used as shellfish growing waters of common muscles and pacific oysters for consumption. Because of pollution the shellfish are infected with fecal coliform’s, creating the necessity for them to be pasteurized before being sold, which decreases their product quality. However, passive engineering design interventions can be made to reduce the effects of this pollution. This project explores how river pollution in Loch Ailort can be improved using design interventions.

In this proposal, oyster reef balls are utilized to promote growth by providing hard surfaces for oysters to attach themselves and grow into reefs of oyster colonies. These reef balls in larger scale are globally used by countries on shores as breakwaters with oyster reefs. Their function is to simultaneously protect shores from wave forces and moisture growing oyster reefs, which encourages the restoration of declining oyster populations.The holes in the GBFS concrete sphere’s shell provide gaps for other sea creatures to stick to and is used as places of habitat. As oysters are filter feeders, they clean water by feeding on pollutant debris and bacteria, amongst other food, while filtering out clean water. However, in doing so they become prone to infection from pollution. By restoring the numbers of oyster populations, the oysters can outweigh the levels of water pollution and restore the water quality.

Shellfish Pavilion is a pier open to the public at low tide and submerged below water at high tide. The close proximity of the pier to the growing oyster reefs connects viewers to the restoring oyster reefs and sheds light on their habitat in the water. The Pavilion is a place of permanent residence to shellfish populations on which human visitors are temporarily welcome at low tide, respecting the natural cycles of the tide and its marine life habitat.