Water Nest - Phase 1

Introduction: At the beginning of the new project we were told to work to an imaginary site, to develop a concept and love story for 2 people meeting for lunch everyday. We were to create a water nest for our lovebirds, investigating the threshold between water and land.

In my research I came across a couple of images that really stood out to me - of a blackbirds nest in the reeds and one of a nesting site of flamingos. In the book 'The poetics of space' by Gaston Bachelard (Beacon Press, 1969) I read the line 'the green in the greenness'. I liked the idea of that line and how it hinted at sometimes you know don't see things unless you know that they are there. I used all this to start to think about my story and to form the concept further.

Story summary: My two lovebirds are travelling people, who are aware of nature and their surroundings. They appreciate the small things in life. They want a space for their lunch meetings which will remind them of somewhere else than London. They also want a functional space and a beautiful space that has a sense of sustainability.

Click on image below to read whole story.

Sketches showing different layouts.

Concept Development: Started by looking at the levels of the site and trying the concept on the site. Using the topography of the flamingos nesting site to create small seating platforms and then these lines of reed beds going through the site. Playing with the views. When someone is sitting down in the nest you won't be able to see them until they stand up. Using the reed beds to collect and clean the water from the site until it runs off to the canal. Bluring the threshold between land and water by letting some of the reeds grow out into the water and some platforms in the water, which you can walk out to.

Trying out the concept of the reeds hiding the person in the nest when you sit down and when you stand up you can see them.

Sketch showing how the seating platforms sit on the different levels.

In the end I decided for round platforms to match the flamingos nests and to let them drape over different levels and go out to the water. Together with some of the reeds in the water to communicate the land and the water more as one on the site and to make the step less obvious.

Sketch showing the reeds leading you out to the seating platform in the water.

Along with sketches I also worked on a model trying out different levels, how the platforms sit on site and the layout of the reed beds and how much of the site that will be in low water.

Section of the finished concept - showing the reed beds, the 'hidden nest' and how the reed beds clean the water before it joins the canal.

Below are the images of the finished concept. With seating platforms and reeds extending into the canal. A playful and adventures site with a sense of sustainability and greenness.