The Wildlife Pavilion Competition organized by TerraViva - finalist

Year: 2023
Type: park and recreation
Location: Brescia, Italy

The shaping of the landscape of Torbiere del Sebino through human activities holds great cultural significance within the local community. The natural ground and water surface are redefined by man-made ‘platforms’ throughout the history of excavation, construction, and restoration. In its current setting as a natural reserve and public park, platforms are presented in the form of on-grade pavement, decking, elevated boardwalks, and sheltered floors. These elements may interrupt natural inhabitants and, at best, merely camouflage themselves in the natural context without true integration into the environment. While decay can introduce life into the material, it often compromises its structural integrity and functional traits. This project attempts to leverage the function of tectonics of historic and regional forms by incorporating inhabitable voids into the human-centric programs to foster local flora and fauna. Three proposed follies are situated in relation to existing points of interest along one of the trail paths that encompass the northern half of the water body.

Situated at the eastern terminus of the central pathway, the gate functions as a trailhead, providing space for medium-sized groups to gather and rest. A birdwatching tower, featuring apertures for birds to nest in cavities, flanks the existing gateway. Each nesting box behind the aperture has a double-layered floor that drains excess water through the weep hole. Conventional brick patterns have been designed to choreograph openings on the wall for various types of living units, which provide shelters for species of different sizes.

This folly is located at the midpoint of the central path, serving as a dock for floating platforms that provide nesting sites for waterfowl. It offers a worm’s eye panoramic view of the entire park at both ends of the dock. The nesting rafts consist of two compartments: a bottom half that controls the center of gravity, and a top half designed as a planter to support the growth of local plants. Each raft or island can be anchored to the dock or to each other using removable pins at the corners. The aggregate of islands creates an elongated water's edge. During migration season, these islands can be released to float freely in the water, providing an better nesting site for migratory birds.

The third folly appears as a screened wall for birdwatching on the perimeter of a reconfigured water edge and is located at the extension of the trail on the west shore. The partly excavated ground surface provides soil walls with rammed earth partitions — a nesting site meant for critters and birds. Drawn from the historic form of regional battlement structures where elements are deployed to conceal and observe, the bird hide establishes a similar defensive front along the shoreline. The height of the openings changes as observers progress along the ramp. At the conclusion of the walkway, visitors will arrive at a grotto facing the earth pit. Two lookouts are situated close to water level: one aligned with the distant mountain ridge, and the other to Lake Iseo.