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CASEstudy Loch on wood Dylan Baliski at the University of Dundee has won a 2023 Vectorworks Design Scholarship in the Architecture category for his striking design concept for an updated RSPB bird sanctuary How can our architecture be not just a response to humanity but also the environment it is situated in? Loch on Wood, Dylan Baliski's winning project entry for the 2023 Vectorworks Design Scholarship, explores this question through the eyes of both humans and birds in a gorgeous RSPB site situated 500m south-east of Lochwinnoch, Scotland. The site is on the periphery of a beautiful loch, circulated by a trail system, with birdwatching posts protruding out intermittently. The RSPB's current visitor centre on the site is now very outdated and provides minimal learning experiences within the interior spaces. Despite the incredibly hardworking volunteers running the facilities and programmes, the existing building had failed to entice new customers, who fund facilities and site maintenance. Now however they using Dylan’s design concept to attract funding for developing the site. THE ARCHITECTURE The solution to the problem goes beyond the RSPB's need for an updated visitors centre; it also has to connect to the landscape and allow the wildlife to roam free. The central driving concept behind the design was therefore about the journey a bird takes in its seasonal disposition.This migration pattern is imperative to almost every bird on earth, thus proving its importance. The architecture of the design reflects this journey, with the existing trail system extending over the roof of the updated visitors centre. The trail system will flow above the glazed gateway, visually connecting the loch to the external spaces south of the building. This glimpse into what is withheld in the site will draw pedestrians and drivers in from the freeway running perpendicular to the site. The boardwalk connecting to the foyer acts as a material and visual bridge into the exhibition space, easing the transition between nature and architecture. Once inside, the view to the loch will only expand in the timber interiors. The journey visitors take to the roof observation area is also mirrored in the interior, with the exhibition spaces pushed through the journey upwards to the observation deck. The sloping steam-bent plywood light chimney will immediately draw visitors, allowing a smoother connection between all three floors and the immense void spaces to be flooded by light. The triple-height void space in the heart of the circulation offers a flowing contrast to the more geometric exterior, creating an atmospheric entrance to the learning space. Along the way, patrons can learn about the species of birds present within Lochwinnoch, their migration patterns, and the measures being taken to protect them. The gift shop, which currently provides almost all of the revenue for the RSPB, will lie on the apex of the L-shaped plan, constantly being in view of the journey. Along with a café, the exhibition spaces will provide not just a reason to circulate through the space but also to stay. As visitors move through the exhibition, they will arrive at the parametric stairway, which acts as a beacon to ’fly’ them upwards through more exhibition spaces and finally to the interpretation space, which looks down the light chimney to the beginning of the journey. The third level interpretation space provides ample viewing and a buffer space, preventing birds from colliding with the windows. Bird-proof fritted glass will be implemented on the exposed glazing (the corten steel façade will cover much of it). This will allow a seamless view of the loch while protecting the birds that call it home. Within the main panels, there is the option to open the eye-level windows, enabling photographers to snap pictures of the wildlife. With these public functions covering the horizontal aspect of the site, the private functions will accommodate the vertical part of the plan, allowing staff and volunteers to have their own space away Visitors to the propsed centre will have extensive views of the loch 22 January/February 2024
CASEstudy The triple height void space in the heart of the circulation The vertical circulation will allow staff and volunteers to have their own private spaces Raised structure to mitigate any flooding and create a smaller footprint on the landscape The dining space acts as the foyer, allowing a clear view of the cafe at all times from the bustling exhibition and viewing spaces to work and rest. The light chimney defines the foyer and exhibition space from the learning journey while maintaining a direct connection. The simple glulam post-beam structure will hold up and define these interior spaces, with an additional timber frame for the interpretation space. The parametric slats revolving in and around the visitor centre are inspired by the anatomical geometry of bird wings and bird nests, adding to the dynamic space. A geometric corten steel façade will wrap around the spaces above the first floor, creating seclusion for the private interior spaces and birds and adding an aesthetic flare. The way it wraps around the building guides your eyes to the journey along the roof pathway, from the beginning to the end and back down again. ENVIRONMENTAL SYSTEMS The previous builders had raised the RSPB visitor centre to mitigate any flooding. Utilising this strategy again was concluded to be the best option to combat the damp soil quality on-site. The raised structure also creates a smaller footprint on the landscape. A new system of boardwalks will float above, connecting the building to the landscape materially similar to the architecture, creating a sense of cohesion throughout the entire site. Along with the L-shaped plan of the visitor's centre, these boardwalks were carefully designed to surround the dense flora on the site, with no trees needing to be felled in the construction process. They are further expanded to the existing trail system, creating a looped path with better circulation than the current 'there-and-back' situation. Beneath the boardwalk, a compact trench heat pump will provide the building's electricity. Underfloor heating will provide the primary heat source using the ground source heat pump, an extraordinarily sustainable and effective combination with a good reputation in the industry - and which is also easy to install. Rainwater capture was a vital consideration of the proposal right from the start. Instead of being implemented as the 'icing on the cake', it influenced Loch on Wood's development. A blue/green roof hybrid system was the obvious choice as it could help retain and distribute grey water to the building and materially blend into the surroundings. The 525 square metre surface area of the blue/green roof can accumulate up to 673,050 litres of water annually (which a runoff strategy can easily reduce). The green layer of the roofing system merges the architecture into the landscape and also acts as a filter for greywater precipitation, with its soil absorbing up to 75% of the incoming precipitation. The residual rainfall used for the toilets and showers could amount to more than 150,000 litres - not accounting for the water lost due to evaporation, people, etc. These systems will contribute, along with the timber materiality, to the building's overall carbon-positive running of the building and low carbon footprint. CONCLUSION With this new design of the RSPB visitor centre an immediate increase in visitors is expected locally and abroad. Loch on Wood doesn't just provide a viewpoint for Scotland's wildlife but also provides a sanctuary for it to thrive in as well. www.vectorworks.net/scholarship/winners January/February 2024 23
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