The Coralis Workshop becomes Aïga Terra, the Flowform Workshop.
What Are Flowforms? A Complete Guide to Flowform Water
Flowform water refers to water that has been set in rhythmic, figure-of-eight motion as it cascades through a series of sculpted vessels. Invented by the English sculptor John Wilkes in the 1970s, the Flowform is both a piece of water sculpture and a functional water treatment device: as water pulses from basin to basin, it folds in on itself, draws in air, and moves the way a healthy stream moves through a meandering landscape. The result is living, oxygenated water with a sound and presence that a straight pipe or a still pond can never produce.
The Birth of the Virbela® Brand
The name Virbela® has become the trade mark associated with these distinctive basins. Flowforms are now manufactured under licence in several countries and are used in landscaping, agricultural, industrial and domestic projects.
This guide explains what flowforms are, how Virbela® Flowform technology works, and why these innovative water features matter for plants, soil, sustainable water management and design.
What is flowform water ?
A Flowform is a cast vessel usually in stone, ceramic or composite whose internal shape forces flowing water to swing rhythmically from side to side instead of running straight through. Chain several of these vessels down a gentle slope and the water cascades from one to the next, tracing a continuous lemniscate (a horizontal figure-eight or infinity pattern) as it descends.
“Flowform water,” then, is simply water that has passed through this kind of vessel. It is moving water that has been rhythmically activated: aerated, mixed and shaped by the sculpture rather than by a pump alone. Proponents in the biodynamic tradition describe the outcome as “living water” water restored toward the vitality it has in a natural mountain stream, in contrast to the lifeless flow of tap water through pressurised plastic pipes.
Virbela® Flowforms sit at the meeting point of three things: an innovative water-treatment idea, a study of the nature of liquid water, and a sculptural object of real beauty. That combination is why you find them in gardens, courtyards, schools, ecological water systems and biodynamic farms alike.
How does flowform technology work?
Flowform technology works by translating the principles of fluid motion into a fixed sculptural form. Inside each vessel, two lobes are shaped so that the incoming stream cannot flow evenly: it is deflected first to one side, then the other, setting up a self-sustaining rhythmic pulse. This is the same kind of meandering, oscillating movement of water you see in a healthy river recreated deliberately and on a small scale.
Three things happen as water moves through a flowform:
- The folding, surging motion repeatedly exposes fresh water surfaces to the air, dissolving more oxygen into the water. Higher dissolved oxygen supports biological activity and helps keep the water fresh.
- Rhythmic mixing. The figure-eight path mixes the whole body of water thoroughly, distributing temperature, oxygen and any added substances evenly which is why flowforms are used to stir biodynamic preparations.
- Movement and contact. Slowing, turning and re-accelerating the flow increases the time and surface over which water contacts air, light and the vessel itself.
The technology is deliberately low-tech: a flowform needs only gravity and a modest recirculating pump. There are no chemicals, filters or moving parts inside the vessel. The “intelligence” of the device lives entirely in its shape.
The origins of flowforms: Wilkes, Schwenk and Steiner
Flowforms grew out of a body of research into the nature of liquid water carried out in the 20th century. The German engineer and hydrologist Theodor Schwenk documented how water in nature constantly forms spirals, vortices and rhythmic meanders work he published in his influential book Sensitive Chaos. Schwenk argued that this rhythmic movement is essential to water’s role in supporting life.
Building on that research, the sculptor John Wilkes asked a practical question in the early 1970s: could a vessel be shaped so that water would generate these natural rhythms by itself? His answer was the first flowform, and the flowform design method has been refined by practitioners such and water-research institutes ever since.
The wider context is the agricultural and philosophical work of Rudolf Steiner, whose biodynamic movement treats water as a living, mediating element rather than an inert raw material. Within that tradition, rhythmically moved water is held to carry and transmit vitality a view that informs how flowforms are used on biodynamic farms, even where the underlying claims sit outside conventional science.
- It is worth being clear: the physical effects of flowforms aeration, mixing, oxygenation are straightforward and measurable. The energetic or “vitalising” claims belong to the biodynamic and anthroposophic worldview and are not established by mainstream science. A trustworthy page presents both honestly.
How Virbela® Flowforms improve water quality
Flowforms improve water quality primarily by aerating and mixing it. Moving water through repeated turbulent folds raises dissolved-oxygen levels, and oxygen-rich water supports the aerobic micro-organisms that break down organic matter the foundation of natural filtration and natural water-treatment processes.
In practical ecological water systems, flowforms are used to regenerate and treat water:
- Oxygenate ponds and reservoirs, reducing stagnation and the conditions that cause algae and odour.
- Polish water in constructed wetlands and reed-bed systems, adding a rhythmic aeration stage between biological treatment steps.
- Revitalise stored or recirculated water, keeping garden water and ornamental water features fresh and clear.
The contrast often drawn is between still or piped water and rhythmically moved water: a static pond or a length of plastic pipe gives water no chance to breathe, whereas a flowform keeps it in constant, oxygenating motion. For ornamental and garden settings, this is a genuine, observable benefit clearer, fresher-smelling, better-oxygenated water that also looks and sounds alive
Flowforms in agriculture and biodynamic farming
The relationship between flowforms and agriculture runs through biodynamic farming. In biodynamic practice, field sprays and compost preparations are diluted in water and stirred for an hour, deliberately reversing direction to create a vortex and then a chaos the same rhythmic, non-linear movement a flowform produces. Virbela® Flowforms automate and scale this stirring, mixing preparations evenly and oxygenating the liquid before it is applied to soil and crops.
Practitioners report several benefits for plants and soil, framed within the biodynamic tradition:
- Plant growth and crop yield. Some biodynamic growers report faster establishment and improved crop yield when irrigating with flowform-activated water, attributing this to better oxygenation and biological activity. These are practitioner observations rather than peer-reviewed results, and should be presented as such.
- Soil health and nutrient availability. Oxygenated, biologically active water is associated with healthier soil life, which in turn supports nutrient availability for plants.
- Root development. Better-aerated water at the root zone is linked anecdotally to stronger root systems.
Whether one accepts the full biodynamic rationale or simply values consistent aeration and thorough mixing, flowforms offer a chemical-free way to prepare and move water in holistic, organic and permaculture-based agriculture.
Flowforms, water scarcity and water management
Flowforms are not a source of new water, so they cannot solve water scarcity on their own. What they contribute is better use of the water we already have. By keeping recirculated water oxygenated and biologically alive, Flowforms support closed-loop water systems where water is reused rather than discarded for example in greywater treatment, irrigation reservoirs and natural swimming pools.
In a context of climate change and growing pressure on water resources, that role matters:
- They help maintain water quality in storage and recirculation, extending how long water stays usable.
- They support decentralised, low-energy water treatment, running on gravity and a small pump rather than energy-intensive industrial processes.
- They make sustainable water management visible and engaging a working flowform turns water stewardship into something people can see, hear and gather around, which has real value for education and awareness.
Used as one component within a wider water-management strategy, Virbela® Flowforms reinforce the principle of treating fresh water as a precious, living resource rather than a disposable input.
The art of Flowform design
Beyond their function, Flowforms are water sculptures. Each Flowform design is shaped not only to move water in a particular rhythm but to be beautiful in its own right which is why so many are commissioned as the centrepiece of a courtyard, garden, entrance or public space.
The artistic appeal comes from several qualities:
- Living movement. The lemniscate pulse gives flowing water a heartbeat-like rhythm that is mesmerising to watch.
- The cascade from vessel to vessel produces a soft, varied water sound that masks noise and calms a space.
- Sculptural presence. Cast in stone or stone-like materials, flowform sculptures read as art objects whether the water is running or still.
This is where the informational story meets a practical decision: if you want Virbela® Flowform water in your own garden, courtyard or project, you are choosing both a piece of sculpture and a piece of water-revitalising technology.
If you would like flowform water in your own project, explore our range of flowform water features, handcrafted by aiga terra in sizes to suit every setting — from the minis (20–40 cm) and small models (40–60 cm) for terraces and interiors, to the medium (60–100 cm) and large flowforms (100–150 cm) for gardens and public spaces. You can also browse the full shop to see available pieces.
Explore our range of flowform water features designed and crafted by aiga terra.
Virbela® Flowform water features are sculptural vessels that move water in a rhythmic figure-eight pattern as it cascades from one basin to the next. They act simultaneously as decorative water features and as a way to oxygenate and revitalise water.
Flowforms improve water quality mainly by aeration. The rhythmic, folding movement repeatedly exposes water to air, raising dissolved oxygen and supporting the aerobic micro-organisms that keep water fresh and break down organic matter.
Within biodynamic and organic growing, flowform-activated water is used to mix preparations and irrigate crops. Practitioners report benefits for soil health, nutrient availability, root development and crop yield, attributed to better-oxygenated, biologically active water. These are practitioner observations rather than proven scientific results.
A Flowform’s internal shape deflects incoming water alternately to each side, creating a self-sustaining figure-eight rhythm. Chained vessels make the water cascade and meander like a natural stream, which oxygenates and thoroughly mixes it using only gravity and a small pump, with no chemicals or internal moving parts.
In biodynamic farming, preparations are stirred rhythmically in water before being applied to soil and crops. Flowforms reproduce and scale this rhythmic stirring, oxygenating and evenly mixing the liquid, which is why they are widely used in holistic, organic and permaculture-based agriculture.
Flowforms do not create new water, but they help us use existing water better. By keeping recirculated water oxygenated and alive, they support closed-loop, low-energy water systems where water is reused rather than wasted a useful contribution to sustainable water management under climate pressure.
Each flowform is a water sculpture: its lemniscate movement gives water a living, heartbeat-like rhythm, its cascade produces a calming water sound, and its cast stone form stands as an art object in a garden, courtyard or public space.
