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DESIGN II | SPRING 2014
Along the south shore of Lady Bird Lake, adjacent to the Congress Avenue Bridge, this project is designed to provide the community and visitors with information about the Mexican free-tailed bats. From March to October, 1.5 million Mexican free-tailed bats emerge from the crevices beneath the bridge just before sundown. The bat center is designed to both educate as well as serve as an optimal viewing platform for visitors.
The design process began with site documentation along the south shore of Lady Bird Lake. The site was documented through various means such as sketching, photo collages, and diagrams. Following a site visit, and a series of massing models, specifically looking at the edge conditions and thresholds within the site lead to the decision to position the building over the water.
A single bar of occupied space containing small conditioned spaces independent from one another characterizes the project. The building is a series of three platforms that project out from the banks of the lake and into the water in order to optimize the viewing experience of bats. Visitors enter through the second level and have the option to either travel downward to the small exhibition space that floats in between the levels, or walk upstairs to the accessible green roof. The lower platform also connects with the existing walking trail that the community regularly uses. The middle platform extends past the other two decks in order to immerse visitors into the experience of viewing the bats’ flight. The middle platform also features a small retail space.
The project incorporates minimal use of conditioned exhibition space in order to give priority to the outdoor space and in response to the eastern sun exposure. Largely, the project encourages linear progression in order to optimize the views of the bridge, bats, skyline, and surrounding landscape. The glass volumes that pop up to the roof and the large open stairwells naturally illuminate the interior of each platform and provide a vertical connection between the platforms.
