Bird House Play House Design Competition - 2010

October 20, 2010
For Immediate Release

CONTACT:
Lee Papert
Director of Marketing & Development
Trinity River Audubon Center
214.309.5851
lpapert@audubon.org

Trinity River Audubon Center announces Winner in inaugural competition.

Children’s Play House to be built by April 2011.

Dallas Texas – October 20, 2010 – The Trinity River Audubon Center proudly announces Cletus Pippin as the winner of their inaugural Bird House Play House Design Competition. Mr. Pippin’s design, the Roost, was chosen from amongst the five finalists of this first ever competition coordinated and organized by the Trinity River Audubon Center and the YAF – the Young Architects Forum of the American Institute of Architects Dallas Chapter. The YAF is a committee that develops and promotes activities for young architects and interns while providing opportunities for networking, professional development, and recognition.

This competition invited State of Texas registered architects, architectural interns, and architectural students enrolled in an accredited Texas University or architecture high school program to design a life-sized play bird house. Fourteen entrants accepted this unique chance to design a bird-themed play house that would fit appropriately into the Center’s Children’s Discovery Garden. Each were asked to keep in mind the Center’s desire to maximize use of sustainable materials and have as little an impact on our environment as possible.

Mr. Pippin, an architect with Corgan Associates, designed a structure that not only looks like a bird house, but also provides a learning tool with his “Discovery Matrix” – an interior wall with multiple “hidey-holes” inviting young learners to peek inside to learn something new about birds. Director of the Center, Chris Culak, was thrilled: “Not only does this design best fit the specs for the competition it truly helps us to fulfill our mission to educate the public and to help preserve our natural wildlife. This building will provide a great play area and give lessons!”

The sponsors of this first ever Bird House Play House design competition are Jennifer & Ed Junker. These two folks love the outdoors and good design and were able to combine both their passions in this one project: “We were thrilled to see so many outstanding entries. All of them deserve recognition. Now, we just can’t wait to see Mr. Pippin’s design take fruition and come to life.” Construction of the winner’s plans should occur by April 2011.

The winner’s design and that of the other four finalists will be on display at the Trinity River Audubon Center and officials hope to be able to also showcase these designs at other venues across town. The other finalists included Julian Debo – Skyline High School Architecture Cluster, Dan Fletcher – SHW Group, Clemente Jacquez Herrera – RTKL Associates, and Mario Ortiz – Westwood College.

The Trinity River Audubon Center is located in south Dallas in the heart of the great Trinity Forest at 6500 S. Loop 12, Dallas, TX. 75217.

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The Trinity River Audubon Center (TRAC) opened October 2008 and serves as a flagship location for the National Audubon Society’s mission to conserve and restore ecosystems, focusing on birds and other wildlife and their habitat for the benefit of humanity and the earth’s biological diversity. TRAC is located just eight minutes from downtown Dallas on 120 acres of the Great Trinity Forest – the largest urban bottomland hardwood forest in the United States. TRAC offers programs throughout the year related to conservation, local ecology, habitat study and stewardship. Built on top of a reclaimed, former landfill, TRAC is the first major signature development for the Trinity River Corridor Project, a $2 billion City of Dallas public works project. TRAC is one of Dallas’ newest and most unique destinations for recreation and education where visitors can connect with nature.

From rain harvesting for irrigation to recycled blue jeans as insulation and boardwalks made of recycled milk jugs, the Center is pursuing LEED Gold Certification. Coupled with its aesthetic beauty, the Center is a true Dallas gem. The building, designed by Antoine Predock, mimics a bird rising into flight over the forest. The center is managed by the National Audubon Society. Go to www.trinityriveraudubon.org for up-to-date activities or call 214.398.8722. Open Tuesday-Saturday, 9 a.m.-4 p.m.; Sundays, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. On the third Thursday of each month, the hours are 9 a.m.-9 p.m., with free admission. Closed Mondays and major holidays. Admission is $3 children ages 3-12; $4 seniors 60+; $6 adults ages 13-59. Group discounts, private guided tours, and facility rentals are available. Memberships start at $60.

Now in its second century, Audubon connects people with birds, nature and the environment that supports us all. Our national network of community-based nature centers, chapters, scientific, education, and advocacy programs engages millions of people from all walks of life in conservation action to protect and restore the natural world. http://www.audubon.org/.

Background

Stewardship Board Members of the Trinity River Audubon Center (TRAC) have teamed up with the Dallas chapter of the American Institute of Architects (AIA) to coordinate an architectural design competition to design play bird houses, of which the winning entries will be constructed and display at the TRAC. A group within the chapter known as the Young Architects Forum (YAF) are facilitators for this program. YAF is a committee that coordinates and promotes activities for young architects and interns while providing opportunities for networking, professional development and recognition. A ‘Young Architect’ is considered to be a practicing architect who has been licensed for ten years or less. Prior to becoming a licensed architect, a person is typically an intern with the title of Associate if a member of AIA.

Trinity River Audubon Center (TRAC) opened October 2008 and serves as a flagship location for the National Audubon Society’s mission to conserve and restore ecosystems, focusing on birds and other wildlife and their habitat for the benefit of humanity and the earth’s biological diversity. TRAC is located just eight minutes from downtown Dallas on 120 acres of the Great Trinity Forest – the largest urban bottomland hardwood forest in the United States. TRAC offers programs throughout the year related to local ecology, habitat study and stewardship. Built on top of a reclaimed, former landfill, TRAC is the first major signature development for the Trinity River Corridor Project, a $3 billion City of Dallas public works project. TRAC is one of Dallas’ newest and most unique destinations for recreation and education where visitors can connect with nature. Since its opening TRAC has played host to more than 70,000 guests including more than 24,000 urban school district students through academic field trips.

The TRAC Bird House Competition is a unique way for young architects and interns to share their talents with the greater community by competing in a contest to create a play house for children that will enhance TRAC’s Children’s Discover Garden.

Competitors will enter drawings and designs during the fall, have their designs displayed at TRAC’s Nature Fest Event October 16 and the winning designs will be constructed and permanently displayed at the center April 2011. .

The YAF and allied organizations have agreed to sponsor the construction of multiple winning playhouse designs to be displayed at TRAC.