Javier Dueñas Proposes Public Bath as Urban Micro-Plant and Social Regenerator

Javier Dueñas from JDEstudio has written a 148-page essay entitled 'Un Baño para la Ciudad,' which advocates for a transformative approach to public bathing facilities in light of water issues. This work delves into the historical and cultural importance of baths in ancient societies such as those in the Indus Valley, Mesopotamia, Egypt, Greece, and Rome. It also critiques contemporary water management practices, noting that approximately 1,800 million people lack access to clean water, with 30% experiencing scarcity, and an estimated 5,000 million expected to face water stress by 2050. In Mexico, the depletion of aquifers exacerbates the situation. The essay proposes a public bath as a hybrid system that captures, filters, and reuses rainwater, merging traditional designs with generative AI to tackle the water crisis through culturally relevant civic solutions.