Uma - She Who Roars

The mighty Umeå River Uma, whose life-giving force once birthed (and named) our city, inspired me and a group of students to embark on a design journey. Nature, not humanity, was our primary recipient.

In this project, we realized that throughout Umeå's history, the river has been a crucial urban space. However, our river is currently a graveyard full of trash. We viewed this project as an opportunity to explore how we can restore its status and significance for the residents of Umeå. We incorporated trash into the structure of an underground tunnel, where humans could walk and reflect. The tunnel was made in order to connect residents with the river, as well as restoring a bit of the rivers original condition; fishing up trash and designing with nature and animals in mind. A physical miniature-creation of the space was made, using epoxy and laser-cut components out of wood.