Furman & Keil Architects has designed Roost, a two-level, lightweight bird-watching pavilion located next to a canal near Austin, Texas. The 86 m² structure replaces a former unpermitted dwelling that altered the floodplain. Constructed with reused steel from the previous building and materials transported by boat, Roost sits in a protected wetland at the foot of a bluff, 50 feet below neighborhood level, surrounded by trees and accessible only by stairs or waterway.
The enclosed spaces were elevated to the second level to allow water circulation during flooding and provide immersive views of local flora and fauna. Despite being just minutes from the city, the project is sensitively integrated into its natural surroundings, demonstrating how an architectural intervention can dialogue with the landscape without imposing on it.
Image courtesy of Furman & Keil Architects
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