Designed building of nature observatory and its accompanying architecture is put up on the plot located on the shore of oxbow lake of the Narew river. The aim of the design of this structure was to put it in the context of the untouched nature of the river Narew valley.
Detailed analysis conducted by me, has become a natural starting point for the project activities. During terrain expedition in the designed area I came across the plant – Echinocystis lobata – which grew all the undergrowth. The oval fruit is composed of two layers: the outer – protective and inner in which are loacted seeds. This form consists of an irregular, rigid and woody grid forming a kind of spider web. This creation has been my inspiration to create a form of the main building of the observatory. The supporting structure has been rolled outside the building to form a coat that protects the right storage space – bounded by the glass curtain wall. Between the building and the construction of the closed zone is created by semi-open space – a corridor that allows walk around building. The building form refers to the shape of the edge of oxbow lake – curved into a horseshoe. A “broken” character of the observatory is the result of the analysis of groups of trees located opposite the designed building. Crowns of these trees in perspective creates broken line, which I referred to the shape of the roof of the observatory. Rys. 17. Relations between building and environment; source: own material 
Building is divided into two segments: the recreational – exhibition one and residential one. The space between them directs observer to an existing observation tower. Both segments are connected with each other by a wooden deck – based on reinforced concreto piles – from which depart narrow path. First – the bridge – connects the building with the access road on the east side. Other three directs to the observation objects: two observation points and planned observation tower. They are also let to enjoy watching birds from “birds wall”. Floodplain area on which I propose to design building exact getting up the building above the water surface and foundation it on reinforced concrete piles. The facade is composed of an irregular grid-like structure of the Echinocystis lobata fruit. This makes the building seem light and translucent. The main material used in the project is wood. Partition walls forming the internal rooms are covered with strips of curved wood in a vertical arrangement. This facade will symbolize the waves created by the water during the flood waters of Narew.
“Hall of singing birds” is an educational – recreation area, where visitors could listen to the sounds of native birds. It’s equipped with Sound attenuated capsule-like bird nests. After entering one of the capsules You can listen to individual species, obtain information displayed on the screen and isolate from the surrounding space. Observation point located in the residential segment directs the observer’s to untouched nature and allows to watch the festivities battalion, which is a breeding area at this site. Birds wall in which are placed bird houses in a specific way blurs the line between culture zones – that creates the observatory building – and unspoilt nature. We can get the impression that the birds flew into the building.
Kitchen
Due to the floodplains area, communication between the building and the road is solved in two ways. Walking communication – with wooden footbridges, and water communication through the project a small canoe harbor. It’s created by covered space into which we can get by swimming under the building (between the reinforced concrete piles).
Observation point, located at key points in the projected area are elements designed typically for bird watching. To Observation point, as in the case of the canoe harbor we can swim-up from the bottom. Canoe is moored to a post, then we can get inside by a ladder. Bird watching is possibly by irregularly distributed holes in a construction which allow you to watch both: large and small birds from different perspectives. Balusters, which consists of elevation camouflage the object in space – reminding bush or nest. The spaces between the balusters are so narrow that the birds can build the nest between them.
Relaxing space
Project name: Nature Observatory in the Valley of the River Narew.
My name: Lukasz Brzozowski
School: Bialystok Technical University – Faculty of Architecture
Adviser: M.Eng., PhD Janusz Grycel,
It’s a diploma project.
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