05. Nature Center

Spring 2021

Faculty: Georg Rafaildis

Studio Partner: Victoria Gutierrez

Location: 42 E Spring St., Williamsville, NY

Prior to the nature center design, a precedent was examined and an element of the precedent was extracted which could be used in the main project. The precedent chosen was the Railway Sleeper House in Miyake, Japan, by Shin Takasuga. The Railway Sleeper House was made, except for the roof, using only railway sleeper ties. This aspect of the building led the decision to only use one primary construction material in the nature center.

The nature center uses one primary construction material. The recently demolished Shoreline Apartments, designed by Paul Rudolph, were considered due to the abundance of CMU blocks that would have been discarded. The split rib blocks are an iconic element of Rudolph’s architecture and is highlighted in the nature center’s design.

42 E Spring St is currently occupied by an apartment building at Glen Park in Williamsville, NY. The design involves a tower overlooking the area, which would also serve as a shelter for birds. Ramps and stairs lead down to the main nature center which was designed as a series of enfilades instead of having traditional rooms.

The project evokes a sense of classicism but using material from a brutalist period, creating a strange dichotomy, but also a sense of irony considering the material, previously used in affordable housing, is now in use in an affluent neighborhood.