Type
student workshop + bird observatory

Location
Browarny Pond, Kobylepole, Poznań, Poland

Workshop
Mood for Wood

Completed
August 2021

Published on Designboom (read article here).

Located at the Kobylepole area in Poznań, Poland, the pond is a favoured site of birders (bird observers). The shores around the pond are covered with lake-edge vegetation, e.g. common reed, cattail, manna, bulrush or sedges, which form the reed bed. Reed bed plants are rooted at the bottom of the pond and their stems, leaves and flowers rise above the water surface. A little further from the shore, behind the strip of reed in deeper places of the pond, there are plants with floating leaves. The rich development of rush vegetation created favourable nesting conditions for many species of birds.

The bird observatory, built during the Mood for Wood workshop, is intended to allow convenient observation of the pond surface and the water area for several people, giving the possibility of intimate contact with nature and shelter from bad weather.

DAY 1-4
CONCEPT STAGE

During the first days of the workshop the initial idea of the structure was developed and  tested on multiple models, sketches and computer drawings. To ensure that the final design includes ideas from the whole team, the work was structured in multiple stages where the students had to pitch their ideas in the preferred medium and the rest of the team had to pick certain key features to be kept in the next detailing phase. The next phase was started by restating the selected key features from the previous phase upon which each student built their next more detailed idea. As a result, after multiple pitches, the students came to the final design where the ideas of each had been layered.

The final model was built by the students using only materials found in waste or nature nearby.

DAY 5
PRESENTATION

The final design was presented on site to a local birder and the Regional Directorate of State Forests in Poznań to gain approval for the building stage.

DAY 6-10
CONSTRUCTION

The structure of the bird observatory is placed directly at the shore of the pond, enabling the creation of a two levelled structure. Although the shape might seem like an aesthetical choice, it is directly derived from the multiple functions of the space.

DAY 11
FINISHED

The lower lever of the structure shapes two platforms which lead to the waterfront, hidden from the sight by the nearby vegetation and utilising the floor of the upper level as a shelter that protects birders from harsh weather conditions and increases the comfort during a longer stay. The height is enough to enable sitting or laying which are the most common bird watching positions and additional transformable furniture was designed that can support the birder in the preferred position. Furthermore, the space between both lower platforms can be used to safely store equipment.

The upper level is shaped similar to a pier, offering a place to stop and take in the beautiful views of the pond, while also giving the opportunity to learn more about the most common birds in Kobylepole – their silhouettes are engraved in the construction and paired with QR codes that lead to more information about them, thus, adding an interactive feature to our structure and engaging in the bird watching not only birders but also regular bypassers. The sides of the upper platform angle gradually upwards, becoming a barrier, shaping the roof of the lower level and, most importantly, providing a comfortable back support while sitting.

As such, the levels separate the people who pass by from those who are specifically interested in observing the birds. Both levels are designed to utilise the most important views of Browany pond – the lower level offers an intimate, close-up view to the water and shore, as well as a look to the dead tree and swing (main points of attraction on the other side of the pond), while the upper level looks over the whole pond.