The Bird House

Kent

Working from a brief set out by Kent Wildlife Trust, Rock Townsend have designed a multi-functional Nature and Wellbeing Centre for Sevenoaks Wildlife Reserve, which will encourage visitors to engage with nature, and will become a hub for the wider Darent Valley, promoting exploration of its surroundings.

To accomplish this, it was important to fully integrate the Bird House building with the existing wildlife habitats, nature trails, and vista.

Nesting spaces feature as part of the roof of the Bird House, ensuring the building is actively adding to the richness of the local nature environment, and providing somewhat symbolic interaction between natural and man-made structures.

The form of the Bird House is inspired by Kent oast houses, a nod to the rich heritage of the area, providing an interesting yet familiar form that mimics the rhythm of the existing tree line.

Internally, there is a defined public wing (exhibition, retail, café space etc.) and more private wing (offices, workshops, staff amenities etc.) which can both be closed and the trail routes will still be accessible.