Birdwatching tower in Rindal
The birdwatching tower is situated in the south east corner of the small lake Igtjønna, close to the town centre of Rindal. Circling the lake is a popular hiking path in summer, and artificially lit cross country skiing path in winter. The area around Igltjønna is part of a larger recreational area, the birdwatching tower is part of the ongoing project “Kul-tur-sti”. Igltjønna is also a mating place for some species of duck as well as the majestic Crane-bird. This makes the area a popular spot for birdwatchers.
The main approach to the tower leads from the main path to the south-east of the lake. Before arriving at the bird watching tower the visitor walks a short distance through a small patch of pine forest slightly elevated from the surrounding swampland.The first element of the structure is a straight horizontal boardwalk. The north side of the boardwalk is partly covered with with a wall of vertical timber cladding, in addition the boardwalk doubles as seating, and thereby creating a desirable south facing sitting situation. The wall also acts as a visual barrier between human activity and the area where the birds nest.
The 18 meter long boardwalk leads the visitors to a two story platform, which are elevated roughly 2.5 and 5 meters above the ground level. The spaces are directed towards the areas where the birds reside. The upper platform gives a better vantage point for viewing an even further distance.
The lower level is the larger one with both covered and uncovered areas. The main feature in this space is the four operable walls, which can be moved completely out of sight, or used to divide the space into five private areas.
The walls can be used to provide shelter from cold winds from north/north-west, as well as from the predominant wind direction, south-west. Additionally, they can give shade from the low afternoon sun, which can prove to be problematic during the peak birdwatching season in early spring. Besides from the purely functional qualities the walls give, they will also contribute to interesting spacial qualities and a continuously changeable external form.
Process - The first step is to sketch down all initial ideas by hand, and then choose a few and make quick sketches in 3D. The last step is to evaluate the ideas and synthesize them into a final project.
Main ideas in diagrams:
In the second phase of the same course, the students were divided into groups to work with a few selected projects. I made this illustration as part of a group project, the original design for the birdwatching tower was made by Mateusz Bartczak:
See the simple Sketchup-flythrough: