The Second Nest | Architecture Thesis

Site Context

The proposed location is close to the Visegrád Bay estuary, Hungary. This bay is the only one that has an estuary at one end that connects it to the Danube River. When compared to the typical murky Danube, the water in the bay is clearer due to the uneven and stagnant flow of water.

The bay’s natural surroundings are stunning and mesmerising, yet untamed. Many plant species are threatened by flooding, and animals that are part of the Danube food chain are impacted by habitat changes. The location boasts several access points due to its proximity to the city’s primary transportation axis, Route 11, as well as additional waterway access provided by the bay.

Though the low terrain has an impact on activities during the rainy season, it is an appropriate location for research because it is easily accessible and has distinct routes that can be developed. It is also close to the sources of the object’s utilisation.

Design Process

The irregular lines of tree branches and leaf veins served as inspiration for the building’s form, which was derived from the surrounding natural environment. In order to withstand harsh floods, the building mass was elevated on a slope. With the aim of establishing connections with the surrounding nature, a triangular layout was adapted and variations in volume aided in providing beautiful views from the building.

Final Outcome

The building’s ground floor only serves ancillary purposes and is not directly used by people because it is situated in a region that is susceptible to flooding during the rainy season. In particular, elevators, parking lots, garden tool storage, and extra vehicles like boats and canoes for flood season use will all be accommodated.

Because the building has a special underground storage tank under the buffer space (the main facade staircase), there is also a dedicated area for maintaining and fixing pipes. In addition to storing rainwater and Danube River water for garden irrigation, this tank also provides water to the artificial waterfall system situated directly above it.

Stairs wind around each of the three gardens, connecting them to one another. As a result, the garden has a two-layered texture. Through the stair system, guests can climb to the summit of each garden and travel from the centre to the nursery area. Here, guests can take in the architectural beauty of the structure, the surrounding scenery, and up-close views of bird nests and their habitats.

In order to replicate bird habitats, the gardens feature an artificial stream system that uses water from the Danube. The water in these man-made streams can be raised to simulate a sudden flood in order to study flood-resistant lace-modified varieties and observe how birds adapt to sudden floods.

The first point of interest for guests is the unique staircase on the centre’s first-floor plan, which connects the ground level and the building’s main body. A man-made waterfall cascades beside the stairs, blending with the changing colours of the trees to create a poetic and inviting area that greets visitors each time they come.

After that is the hallway that leads to the garden and the reception area. Adjacent to this area is the first exhibition hall, equipped with numerous intriguing features. It will feel as if visitors are lost in another space because the floor of this first gallery is lowered from the building’s general level and requires a short set of stairs to descend.

Visitors proceed to the next area after seeing the exhibits and models, where animations provide information about the bird species and groups that the centre studies. They walk into a pitch-black exhibition corridor that is lined with electronically modelled holograms of birds. They can examine the anatomy of birds, their methods of catching and digesting fish, their mate-finding and nest-building processes, the raising of their young, and their place in the Danube River’s food chain and ecological system.

When the tour comes to an end, guests are well aware of the enormous harm that humans have caused to the rivers, and there is a designated area for them to reflect on their choices and learn to take action.

Conclusion: This project uses architecture to try to accomplish its two primary objectives of raising public awareness about the importance of conserving riverbank vegetation and birds and restoring the ecosystem to reestablish the links in the food chain.

[This Academic Project has been published with text submitted by the student]