AVIAN OBSERVATORY
Semester: Spring 2013 (Design Build Studio)
Professors: Andrew Colopy & Ken Tracy
Clients: Audbon Society at Riverlands & United States Army Coprs of Engineers
This studio designed and built a bird viewing pavilion to guests to the Audbon's Bird Sanctuary in West Alton, MO.
I was one of the 11 students who participated in this studio and one of about 40 who ultimately helped see it through to completion. My role in the project began with formal studies about possible shapes and investigations in to the activity of birding.
After the first few weeks, the studio split into smaller groups further investigating specific aspects of the program. I was part of the group who began studying camouflaging and skins. After research, and discussions with our clients, about how birds see and what ideal camouflage would be arrived at the conclusion that what ultimately mattered in the pattern was the obfuscation of movement. We began creating patterns that gave the structure a sense of movement. Later, we would begin figuring out who to panelize the structure in a way that would allow the sensitive, expensive pieces to be demountable from the sturdy, easy to fix cedar frame. The US Army Corps of Engineers regularly floods or burns the prairie in the bird sanctuary in order to maintain the local ecosystem, making it necessary to safely store the aluminum and richlite exterior, and further necessitating a raised mound for the frame to rest on, away from flammable prairie grasses
Meanwhile, other groups in our studio were optimizing the shape and grading for the best views; designing and detailing the foundation and form work; producing presentation, construction drawings; and generating a site and grading plan.
Later I became more involved in the construction and fabrication of the structure. It was my role to research, order and assist with budgeting for the necessary materials for construction. We researched, several types of phenolic panels, ultimately choosing the ecofriendly (and cnc mill friendly) Richlite material for the exterior panels. We sourced the marine grade aluminum from a local sheet metal supplier, and the cedar frame from a local lumber yard.
I was fortunate enough to continue to work on the construction of the observatory through the summer until it's ultimate completion in the early fall of 2013, while working for Cobalt Office on other projects. There were a lot of dusty, hot days in West Alto, but we were often rewarded with dinners and drinks at Fast Eddy's across the River in Alton, Illinois. This is an experience I will cherish, and I am grateful to Andrew Colopy, Ken Tracy, Bruce Lindsay, our wonderful clients at the Audbon Society and Army Corps for allowing me to be apart of it.
For many many more in-progess shots please check out my instagram page (you may have to scroll way down): https://www.instagram.com/daavbro/
