as part of a competition to design a flamingo observatory, NUDES has developed ?nest? ? a concept that celebrates the unique and diverse ecosystem of wetlands located in the heart of abu dhabi. becoming an oasis of animal and plant life, the wetlands area has attracted numerous different species to settle within the area. this includes abundant plant and aquatic life, as well as over 250 species of birds, most notably the spectacular flock of flamingos that call the wetlands home.

the architectural program is shielded by ?twig? like components
all images courtesy of NUDES
 
 
NUDES?s design of ?nest? attempts to decode the construction behavior of birds and other related species by proposing a structural system inspired by design processes found in nature. the construction of a nest basically includes assembling pieces of material together to compose a distinct spatial language driven by locally available materials. the architectural program is shielded by nested ?twig? like components which are modular, mass produced and easy to assemble. these ?twigs? form the skin of the nest and are connected to each other to create a composite system that shields the users from solar radiation.
the construction of the nest basically includes assembling pieces of reeds together to compose a distinct spatial language
 
 
the architectural program of the bird observatory consists of four components; an ?event space? on the ground level; a ?helical ramp? that serves as an exhibition...