Moon & Tide - Birds’ Habitation Design

Instructor: Lei Chen
Site: Liaoning, China
Year:  2016 Summer
Individual Work

The building is designed as a symbol of changing in time, including days and seasons, and also involves places provide for humans and animals who will be attracted by surroundings which full of wetland and reed marsh. The building is divided into five parts with different functions to fit different uses of people. This place is one of the most important and most significant wetlands protected by the country, so buildings have to be eco-friendly and constructed.

Tides are the rise and fall of sea levels caused by the combined effects of the gravitational forces exerted by the Moon and the Sun and the rotation of Earth. And it also changes with time in a day. Collected data from China Maritime Service Center shows that tide changes in a year with a minimum altitude in 1m and maximum height is 8m.

When tides up during the day and seasons, the outdoor viewing platform will be submerged, and the building changes as the same as a crescent. At this time, visitors cannot get on the platform. On the contrary, when the tide goes down, the outdoor viewing platform will be revealed with Suaeda, and the building returns to the prototype. Then, visitors can board on the platform and get closer interaction with birds.