For our Design Studio project 4, we are to design a tower that can serve one of three purposes. These purposes being; Watching nature, Observing the park and other activities that may take place in the park or Connecting with the wider environment.
I have chosen to design a tower that connects with the wider environment but I want it to also appreciate the site and blend in with it’s environment/context, rather than stand out.
Within the park there is a large bird sanctuary situated next to a medium sized pond. I felt that I wanted my design to link in with the immediate wildlife in some way. A natural way for a bird to keep warm and protected is to build a nest. This acts as a shelter and is commonly made using twigs and fallen debris. I have decided to research into various projects that take on the design concept of a ‘nest’.
I have chosen to design a tower that connects with the wider environment but I want it to also appreciate the site and blend in with it’s environment/context, rather than stand out.
Within the park there is a large bird sanctuary situated next to a medium sized pond. I felt that I wanted my design to link in with the immediate wildlife in some way. A natural way for a bird to keep warm and protected is to build a nest. This acts as a shelter and is commonly made using twigs and fallen debris. I have decided to research into various projects that take on the design concept of a ‘nest’.
Arguably on of the most famous stadiums in the world, the Olympic stadium in Beijing, takes on the bird nest concept. The bird nest structure is built using steel and there is a very random look to the design. This is effective because typical birds nests aren’t built in a grid-like manor.
This case study below encapsulates my idea of how I’d like my design to be. It is a tree house, built into three existing trees in Northern Sweden. Its structure is made from solid wood and therefore makes it habitable and it is clad in branches and large twigs woven into the structure.
After looking at this case study, I feel I can take elements of this design and implement this into this project. The idea of using a solid wood structure to ensure durability and cladding the structure in branches could help this tower blend into its surroundings.
I’ve located the tower onto the side of a grass bank on the site. For this to work, a bridge will be required to link the ground and the tower (examples of link bridges can be found in my sketchbook). The bridge needs to be a continuation of the main tower and not to look like two elements fixed together. The case study below shows a bridge with woven timber. I’d like to adopt this style of woven timber onto the link bridge in the project.
The cladding used on the case study below in Bulgaria, givens a very neat yet natural look. In certain circumstances a birds nest can look very messy, however this type of cladding would help the tower to blend in to its surroundings while not looking like a den.
In this case study, the cladding gives privacy but also takes in lighting. As the cladding isn’t very dense, it is lightweight and would given adequate protection from the elements.
In this case study, the cladding gives privacy but also takes in lighting. As the cladding isn’t very dense, it is lightweight and would given adequate protection from the elements.
Towers
These precedent studies below are all observation towers. They are designed so that they take in various views. The cylindrical tower below allows users to access various levels within the structure, each level will allow a person to view wider and further and therefore each level offers a different view on the environment. This has influenced my design in that I would like my tower to allow users to take in different views and not just focus on one and this is because I want the tower to feel connected with it’s environment and the wider context. To do this, I will incorporate multiple floor levels into my design.
The second structure, shown below displays a very different impression. It is very directional and points users in the direction that you should be looking. This concept has helped with my design as I want users to focus on different views and in order to do this, the observation points will need to be facing certain directions.
The case study below has a similar concept to what I am trying to achieve. It has multiple levels, with an observation point on each one. Each level is facing in a different direction and this focuses users on which direction they should be looking on each level. I will adopt this approach with my design and ensure each level of the tower will be facing a different direction, in order to focus on different horizons.
Connections
A strong method of timber construction would be to use Glulam (Glue laminated timber). Glulam is made up of layers of timber glued together. This increases the strength properties of timber and therefore beams can span over larger distances that regular timber. I will use Glulam to make the primary structure of the observation tower and regular timber for the floorboards.
Below is a selection of Glulam connections that can be used in the construction of the observation tower.
A strong method of timber construction would be to use Glulam (Glue laminated timber). Glulam is made up of layers of timber glued together. This increases the strength properties of timber and therefore beams can span over larger distances that regular timber. I will use Glulam to make the primary structure of the observation tower and regular timber for the floorboards.
Below is a selection of Glulam connections that can be used in the construction of the observation tower.
References
http://www.dreamstime.com/royalty-free-stock-image-easter-eggs-real-bird-nest-image18520146
https://beijingbirdsnest.wordpress.com/birds-nest-facts/
http://dornob.com/the-birds-nest-fantastic-treehouse-room-in-a-forest-hotel/
http://www.dezeen.com/2011/05/27/the-birds-nest-by-inrednin-gsgruppen/
http://inhabitat.com/dramatic-dartmoor-treehouse-is-woven-from-wood-like-a-birds-nest/
http://www.east-centricarch.eu/projects/bulgaria/bistritsa-house.html
https://armsplusplus.wordpress.com/2014/11/06/some-examples-of-timber-towers/
http://www.fourthdoor.org/annular/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/IMG_1582s_©Ioana-Marinescu1.jpg
http://inhabitat.com/boxy-wooden-treehouse-tower-now-open-in-netherlands/ateliereen-architecten-wooden-observation-tower-in-the-netherlands-4/?extend=1
http://www.corbisimages.com/images/Corbis-42-28449172.jpg?size=67&uid=bfbabe63-0c76-4fc3-b767-8f9370cdad56
http://salon.io/smolyn/architecture/works2014_ds3-jpg
http://www.dreamstime.com/royalty-free-stock-image-easter-eggs-real-bird-nest-image18520146
https://beijingbirdsnest.wordpress.com/birds-nest-facts/
http://dornob.com/the-birds-nest-fantastic-treehouse-room-in-a-forest-hotel/
http://www.dezeen.com/2011/05/27/the-birds-nest-by-inrednin-gsgruppen/
http://inhabitat.com/dramatic-dartmoor-treehouse-is-woven-from-wood-like-a-birds-nest/
http://www.east-centricarch.eu/projects/bulgaria/bistritsa-house.html
https://armsplusplus.wordpress.com/2014/11/06/some-examples-of-timber-towers/
http://www.fourthdoor.org/annular/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/IMG_1582s_©Ioana-Marinescu1.jpg
http://inhabitat.com/boxy-wooden-treehouse-tower-now-open-in-netherlands/ateliereen-architecten-wooden-observation-tower-in-the-netherlands-4/?extend=1
http://www.corbisimages.com/images/Corbis-42-28449172.jpg?size=67&uid=bfbabe63-0c76-4fc3-b767-8f9370cdad56
http://salon.io/smolyn/architecture/works2014_ds3-jpg