The most pressing challenge for outdoor swimmers is often how to enter and exit the sea safely, particularly on rocky coastlines or those with large tidal variation. North Yorkshire Council and local community groups commissioned Studio Octopi to produce a feasibility study – Safe Sea Swimming – that would address this challenge.

Together we looked at how infrastructure could be provided to allow safe access to the sea in Scarborough at all states of the tide. We considered numerous sites across South Bay and North Bay, finally settling on an area known as Children’s Corner near Scarborough Spa, for which concept proposals have now been developed.

Creating the infrastructure for safer water access

Safe Sea Swimming Scarborough 

As a designer, researcher and advocate for swim sites across the world, I connect people to water.

Chris Romer-Lee

I’ve been a swimmer for as long as I can remember. As co-founder of architecture practice Studio Octopi, I developed a portfolio of pools, baths and swim-site strategy alongside projects on dry land. In 2025 I set up my own consultancy, focused on getting more people swimming and improving access to water.

I work with organisations to design and refurbish lidos, baths and bathing places, and have become an expert in urban swimming and tidal pools. My research and writing work demonstrates how such swim sites can become a focus for healthy communities and improved ecologies. Through collaboration with government bodies I also advocate for better access to swim sites of all kinds.