The Watershed Collective: Reimagining Water Stewardship in Fife
An Award-Winning Vision for Collective Futures
When architecture meets advocacy, the results can reshape communities and landscapes alike. This ethos is vividly embodied by Jasmin Solaymantash, an award-winning MArch graduate whose design thinking is defined by ecological responsibility and social innovation. Graduating with distinction from Oxford Brookes University, Jasmin brings both academic excellence and two years of professional experience within the built environment. Her latest project—a multidisciplinary centre for water stewardship at Falkland’s historic Kilgour farm steading—demonstrates a forward-thinking approach to community, education, and environmental care.
Setting the Scene: Where Waters Begin
Nestled at the foot of the Lomond Hills in Fife, the Kilgour steadings are more than a relic of Scotland’s agricultural history; they mark the headwaters of the River Eden, a vital artery linking community, ecology, and culture. Jasmin’s thesis transforms this once-dilapidated collection of stone barns into the Watershed Collective: a vibrant hub for dialogue and action in water stewardship. Set against rolling greenbacks and ever-shifting skies, the centre is designed as a living interface between the land, its people, and the waters that sustain them.
Making the Invisible Visible: Architecture That Engages with Water
At the heart of the Watershed Collective lies a radical idea—water is not merely a utility, but a narrative thread that ties together spaces, programmes, and users. Jasmin’s design infuses every zone with a tangible sense of water in all its forms. Studio floors are animated by rills of flowing water; courtyards collect rain through elegant runnels; flexible event spaces double as laboratories for hydrological observation. Even the building’s detailing—exposed cisterns, transparent drainage elements, and a dramatic evaporative cooling wall—elevates infrastructure to experiential storytelling. The hydrological cycle isn’t hidden; it’s celebrated, teaching staff, visitors, and school groups to see daily actions as ripples within larger ecological patterns.
Regenerative Roots: Building with the Landscape
Far from imposing itself upon the landscape, the Watershed Collective adopts a regenerative design approach, grounded in the local vernacular. Existing stone walls are conserved and re-pointed with lime mortar, echoing Fife’s rural traditions while improving breathability and durability. Roof forms are reinterpreted to accommodate photovoltaic panels and rainwater harvesting systems; local timber cladding weathers naturally, providing habitat for mosses and invertebrates. Dry stone garden terraces filter runoff, while planted bioswales invite the broader watershed into the heart of the steading. Jasmin’s sensitive material choices and water-centric systems transform the entire site into a model of climate adaptation and circular resource management.
Nourishing the Mind and Body: Nature-Integrated Wellness
More than a research centre, the Watershed Collective is conceived as a sanctuary for connection and reflection. At its core lies a nature-integrated spa—fed by collected rain and filtered stream water—where users are invited to experience the sensory qualities of water, temperature, and light. Adjacent reflection spaces, inspired by Japanese ryokan and Finnish sauna cultures, offer moments of pause and contemplation, reinforcing the central idea that wellbeing is inseparable from the health of the watershed. Courtyards, sensory gardens, and woodland walks further root the user experience in site specificity, inviting all visitors—be they policymakers, schoolchildren, or passing hikers—to linger, learn, and care.
A Collective Platform for All Generations
Inclusivity and accessibility are woven throughout the Watershed Collective’s programming. Workshops and co-creation studios bring together policy-makers, agro-environmentalists, and local landowners to share knowledge and co-design stewardship plans. Flexible classrooms host hands-on education for school groups, while eco-tourists and families find opportunities for informal learning through interactive exhibits and guided tours. Every intervention is designed to catalyse dialogue between disciplines and generations, framing water stewardship not as an abstract goal, but as a community endeavour.
Recognition and Future Steps
Jasmin’s thesis has garnered praise for its ethical ambition and material integrity, standing out in a field where climate adaptation is both a necessity and a creative prompt. The project’s multidisciplinary ethos reflects the broader pivot in architectural practice: towards regenerative, landscape-driven strategies capable of mobilising diverse stakeholders. More than a collection of spaces, the Watershed Collective functions as a living prototype—one that other rural contexts could adapt, repeat, and expand to restore the lost relationships between land, water, and people.
Connect with Jasmin Solaymantash
For those inspired by Jasmin’s vision—whether practitioners, community organisers, or students seeking dialogue—she is readily accessible for conversation and collaboration. Connect with her on LinkedIn or reach out directly via email at solaymantashj@gmail.com. Engaging new perspectives and forging partnerships sits at the heart of both Jasmin’s personal ethos and the Watershed Collective’s legacy.
In reimagining a humble farm steading as an engine for environmental stewardship, Jasmin Solaymantash invites us all to reconsider our place in the hydrological cycle: both as designers and as citizens. The Watershed Collective is more than architecture; it is an invitation to dwell thoughtfully within the flows that shape our world.
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