Design Studio 2A Bird Hide

Design Studio 2A

Is It A Bird, Or Is It A Plane?

Alex Unwin

Bird Hide Project

Design proposition/Site Analysis (Bird Hide)

For this Design Studio project i have been tasked by the breif to design and create a Bird Hide for the likes of conservation workers and bird watches upon a specific site. The site chosen by the breif is Chat Moss located in the Cadishead and Little Woolden Moss area near Irlam. The site is a peatland area with lots of flora and wildlife which is gradually being restored by the local council. The breif has tasked me to think about factors such as whats observed, the bird watcher, two scopic regimes and the design.

For what is observed from the bird hide that im designing will be the Common Swallow spieces of bird specifically ,so i will need to create a structure made round how these birds act and think of factors like their habitat, behaviour patterns etc. I also need to design the bird hide round the Bird Watcher (Observer) so they operate in the building, their equipment and what space they need etc.

I have chosen to place the Bird Hide on the edge of peatland (located in im age bottom right) so its easily accessable for the Observer to enter as it is near the vehicular access point and car park. The area is also placed on the edge of the peatland as then the observer can easily view the observed which in this case is the bird watcher viewing the Common Swallow which tend to remain in flight for most of their life. This means the proposed area of the bird hide located on the flat peatland will have a clear view of the sky in the open lowland area of the site.

There is a lot of enviromental value to the site as the majority of the site is peatland which stores lots of carbon dioxide preventing it from being released into the atmosphere so its important not to damage/burn this land. The site also contains lots of animal life which should be disturbed as little as possible when thinking about building on the land as well as plant life.

Location of site/Chat Moss using google maps

Proposed placement of bird hide (RED) on site/Chat Moss using google

Precedent Studies

Architectural form of Bird Hides Materials

The Bird-Watching pavillions by Plant Architect located in a Toronto park has a structure where the user can view birds from a sheltered location so visitors can be protected from the elements. This is a very useful aspect to use in my design as the Bird watcher would definelty want to be sheltered from the weather when viewing wildlife.

https://www.dezeen.com/2016/05/16/bird-watching-pavilions-plant-architect-perforated-weather ing-steel-corten-architecture-toronto-canada/

The Bird-Watching pavillions by Plant Architect located in a Toronto park also utilises a good scope of materials, with the use of pre-rusted metal which would normally be not used again making it sustaina ble. The structure also used concrete to support the building to the ground. I would like to use sustaina ble materials like this in my design.

https://www.dezeen.com/2016/05/16/bird-watching-pavilions-plant-architect-perforated-weather ing-steel-corten-architecture-toronto-canada/

This Circular Wooden Tower located in Norway designed by the architect Lars J Berge gives birdwatch es an accessible hide. This Bird Hide has a full 360 degree panoramic wiewpoint across a grassland. This inspires me to create a design which can have many viewpoints from inside the hide with almost a full view of the surronding area.

https://www.dezeen.com/2018/01/28/herdla-birdwatching-tower-lars-j-berge-circular-wooden-pan oramic-view-norwegian-island/

The Saltholme Pools Hide in Teesside designed by practice Child Graddon Lewis was a refurbishment of an abandoned bird hide in an industrail area. The hide uses sustainable materials like wood and plants to cover the roof as well as glass to light up the interior. i will consider all these materials in my design as they are all benifical in one way.

https://www.iconeye.com/architecture/industrial-landscape-saltholme-bird-hide

Bird Hides by Biotope are a Norwegian practice which designs bird hides which architectural structure is meant to blend in with the environment around it to make it look invisible. This is a useful feature for a bird hide as wildlife is less likely to be disturbed by it and its birdwatcher habitants making for the user to have more success in viewing birds which i need to think about in my design. https://www.archdaily.com/tag/bird-hides

Precedent Studies

internal space and interior

This Bird Hide Located on the Norfolk Coast designed by Haysom Ward Mill er is a wing shaped bird hide for the RSPB. The Interior space is what a bird hide should be with places for bird watcher to sit comfortably and view birds from behind a window. This inspires me to have an interior comfortable for the user to have and view birds from.

https://www.architectsjournal.co.uk/archive/sustainability-in-practicehaysom-ward-millers-rspb-bird-hide

The Children’s visitor centre at Abberton Reservior built by The Wild Deck Company is a timber octagonal bird hide. The internal space is spacious as of its octagonal design so it can contain lots of seats as well as this it has shutters and a small table in the middle. this inspires me to utilise the space efficently in my bird hide as it will most likely not be very large. https://www.thewilddeckcompany.co.uk/product-portfolio/timber-build ings/childrens-visitor-centre-octagon-bird-hide/

The Birdhide designed by peak architects which they built for the clients of Chatsworth Settlement Trust has a very basic one roomed design in its interior. This is important to think in my design as a bird hide shouldn’t have too many functions as its not lived in so should have to the minimun functions like somewhere to sit and somewhere to view the outside from.

https://peakarchitects.co.uk/projects/the-birdhide/

Precedent Study Floor plan

This Bird Hide Located on the Norfolk Coast designed by Haysom Ward Miller is a wing shaped bird hide for the RSPB. As well as an inspiring interior this hide has a ergonomic Floor plan with 2 different hides to have to different viewpoints of the surronding area and is very accessible with ramps as well as protection of the buildings with walls and canopys. I will think about have multiple viewpoints from different rooms in my design.

https://www.architectsjournal.co.uk/archive/sustainability-in-practice-haysom-ward-millersrspb-bird-hide

The Tophill Low Bird Hide by group ginger for Yorkshire Water has a large floor plan covering 2 stories which is designed more for education and allowing more people in the hide. it also has a 24hr hide and a 270 degree view of the open landscape. This would be good to consider in my design as having more space would allow more bird watchers and beinmg more accessible to people.

https://www.groupginger.com/work/tophilllow-bird-hide/

Design Development Sketches

Sketches Plans

Initial concept drawings using the breif to help me choose the best locations for rooms and functions for the bird hide as well to show the relationship between the building on the site and its surrondings. as well as intial floor plan ideas.

Design Development

Sketches Sections AutoCAD Drawings

Materials

For the Facade of the house i found that from my visual sketches and precedent i think i will choose natural materials to use for the exterior design of the house. The Materials i could use for the Facade will be some sort of wooden cladding as of its sustainablity. However for the structural interior of the Bird Hide something less natural and strong will be used like concrete or brick to support the structure to the soft peatland below which is not very sustainable. however the roofing will use pre-rusted metal which is likely already had a use so using this is sustainable

More indepth development of concepts by creating scale plans and sections of intial bird hide ideas shown with sketches and CAD drawings.

Montage

Collage/Montage using Photoshop

Scale drawings bird hide (in context)

Scale drawings bird hide (in context)

Montage of the interior of Bird Hide

Montage of the exterior of Bird Hide

Sectional model 1:10