A traveling fellowship in Architecture

1997 Competition Overview

The design of the 6,500 square feet Visitor and Information Center is to be an entryway into the bird and wetlands sanctuary and should aim to contribute to the public's awareness of the region's delicate and compelling wetlands and its rich aviary-like environment. The site, a flat and rebuilt portion of land located between the main roadway and Galveston Bay, enjoys some of the most amazing views of the protected wetlands to the south. The project is both an education center as well as a means to focus on the environs from a privileged vantage point(s). Important issues to consider in the design of the building(s) are: solidity of construction (hurricane resistance) yet lightness of structure, the integration of the building(s) to the site and the maximization of views at each level.