Coed Gwern Bird Hide
Subscribe now to instantly view this image
Subscribe to the Architects’ Journal (AJ) for instant access to the AJ Buildings Library, an online database of nearly 2,000 exemplar buildings in photographs, plans, elevations and details.
Already a subscriber? Sign in
View from the East
Catherine Watton Download Original
Temporary timber structure for educational use and bird watching
The students on the Professional Diploma course at the Centre for Alternative Technology designed this temporary timber structure as a summer bird hide in the Coed Gwern woodland.
The walls, roof and seating are integrated into one structure that is visually permeable and provides sufficient shelter without feeling separated from the environment. The demounted structure was constructed over five days from Welsh organically grown untreated timber that was sawn and processed within 500 metres of the site.
The lengths of timber were designed to achieve minimal waste of sawn pieces and the off-cuts were used to form spacers in between the timber. No mains electricity was consumed; battery and hand tools were used.
Data
- Begun: Aug 2011
- Completed: Aug 2011
- Floor area: 6m2
- Sectors: Education, Sports and leisure
- Total cost: £1,500
- Funding: Centre for Alternative Technology
- Address: Centre for Alternative Technology, Machynlleth, SY20 9AZ, United Kingdom
Professional Team 
- Architect: Centre for Alternative Technology
- Client: Centre for Alternative Technology
- Project co-ordinator: Duncan Roberts
- Construction Coordinator: Geoff Stowe
- Construction advisor: Trish Andrews
Suppliers
- Timber Supplier: Esgair Timber