Designer bird shelter sends twitchers aflutter
June 15 2011
Constructed from locally quarried stone the clifftop edifice has been designed to capture the scenic beauty of the landscape through mimicry of dry stone walling – whilst allowing twitchers to capture the natural beauty fluttering above it.
Project architect Iain Cram said: “The position of the shelter is very important as we wanted to make sure that the windows offer the best views possible.
“You can see the stunning views of Dunnottar Castle out of one of the windows and that positioning was deliberate. We set out to create a space for contemplation not a hide for hardened bird spotters. We wanted somewhere for people to admire the view in a calm atmosphere.”
Simon Busuttil, East Scotland Reserves manager, said of the shelter: “It is built to nestle into the ground. The roof is a sedum mat that we hope over time will self-seed with local grasses so that the shelter disappears into the landscape. It’ll take a few winters to weather in and lose its’ new freshness but after that we hope it will take on an almost Neolithic feel.”
The project was made possible thanks to the benefaction of George and Moyra Anderson whose last wish was to allow others to enjoy the same scenic vistas as they had.
Bird watchers and walkers can now soak up the dramatic scenery in some comfort
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4 Comments
#1 Posted by RM on 15 Jun 2011 at 13:17 PM
Surely there is a fundamentle flaw in this design, and that amount of glazing brings with a high risk of birds flying into it??!!
#2 Posted by NS on 15 Jun 2011 at 13:45 PM
Surely it would defeat the purpose if there weren't any windows...
#3 Posted by D to the R on 15 Jun 2011 at 22:08 PM
Yeah.....because birds always fly into glass ?!!?!
#4 Posted by AV 8R on 16 Jun 2011 at 14:13 PM
The walls, roof and interior are all exceptional, but birds do fly in to glass, especially when they can see either reflected sky or open sky beyond - both in evidence here.
That's why you see paste-on hawk silhouettes on some buildings, which is fine for smaller birds but not for hawks or owls, or for the elevation design.
Sloping glass to reflect the ground, and designed-out through-views would be a better solution in situations like this.
The surprise is that the RSPB didn't seem to know this.
That's why you see paste-on hawk silhouettes on some buildings, which is fine for smaller birds but not for hawks or owls, or for the elevation design.
Sloping glass to reflect the ground, and designed-out through-views would be a better solution in situations like this.
The surprise is that the RSPB didn't seem to know this.
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