My aim is to create a womens led swimming pool in my location of 46-50 Clyde Street, Glasgow. It will be a safe and comfortable space for women to swim and socialise. The space will have a small pool, ‘The Wee Dip’ a learner pool. A larger pool, ‘The Big Dip’, which will be the main attraction, and Douk, an in-house cafe.

My aim is for the pool to be accessible to people from all backgrounds, religions and those with disabilities. Everything is on one level and all spaces designed to be wheel chair and buggy friendly.

I chose to design The Ladies Pool in Glasgow to combat gendered inequality in the area and provide a healthy pursuit for local women. With so much of the city designed in the masculine image, and women having to align to those rules, the Ladies Pool will be a welcome change, providing a predominantly female space for women to inhabit. The cultural customs would be defined by women for women to create a secure and comfortable environment where women have command over the space.

The East End in question hosts many predominantly masculine environments, perhaps not gendered officially, but by the majority of their clientele, places such pubs, betting shops, or even on a larger scale Celtic Park Football Stadium. Of course women are permitted to visit and frequent these spaces, but the difference is, these public spaces have been built and designed in the male image and women need to adapt to fit in. I propose that not only would I be providing a safe environment to swim, but that this project could also be about the subtle feminisation of a masculine culture, which would have benefits for men too.