Shaima Al-Jalal

Year 2 MArch

Reimagining Monar Dam

Ecological Filtration and Fish Migration Infrastructure
Monar Dam, Great Glen, Scotland

Reimagining Monar Dam converts a working hydroelectric barrier into adaptive ecological infrastructure. Modular filtration components operate as a fish ladder that fastens onto the dam face and adjacent riverbanks, filtering pollutants running downstream while reopening Atlantic salmon migration routes upstream, long blocked by the Dam.

Each component, computationally formed, is cast from forms that recall stones, shells and vertebrae; their geometry pivots with seasonal changes in flow, creating shaded eddies for smolts and spawning grounds for returning adults. Upstream sensors monitor dissolved oxygen, temperature and turbidity, feeding live data that guides maintenance cycles. Downstream, a monitoring and research centre supports real-time water testing and behavioural studies and offers public decks where visitors can witness autumn salmon runs.

Together, the additions knit energy production with habitat repair, addressing water-quality problems intensified by neighbouring fish farms without undermining renewable power. The proposal seeks a new model for retrofitting infrastructure, where energy production, ecological restoration, and public interaction are no longer in conflict, but coexist in a living, dynamic system.