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Malportas
Project facts
- Type
- Landscape intervention
- Location
- North Side
- Year
- 2025
- Status
- Design
Architecture for observation
Small structures make space for quiet encounters with a sensitive landscape.
This project for the National Trust is a pair of bird blinds for a gated bird sanctuary overlooking Malportas Pond, part of the Central Mangrove Wetland and an Important Bird Area.
The two-story and single-story bird-viewing structures are located at the perimeter of the large, shallow salt lake and provide screened viewing areas for bird enthusiasts. Given the remote location and the need for ease of construction, the structures use timber construction, with spaces perched on utility poles to capture sweeping views across the pond.
Design approach
Material, silhouette and placement are treated as part of the landscape strategy, allowing the structures to weather naturally and minimize disturbance.