WETLAND HABITAT POND RENOVATION AND WILDLIFE OBSERVATION PAVILION PROPOSAL History This Saugerties, NY 2000 sq. ft. 200+ year old barn and 4200 sq. ft. pond once functioned for maintaining livestock and other farming purposes and was part of a large swath of land, which has been subdivided and sold in different sections over the years, hence the rock walls and awkward layout of the property’s 3.8 acreage. The pond was a water source for livestock. The barn was converted as a residence years ago, but was struck by lightning, which hit a gas tank that exploded and almost destroyed the home, sacrificing its structural integrity and requiring demolition.
The Objective Barn: Recapture the property’s historical character by rebuilding the barn as a home, keeping as much of its original proportions and character intact as possible with salvaged material from the old barn. Landscape and Pond: Restore and expand on a solid foundation of strategically placed generations-old shade trees, meadow, forest and surrounding vegetation. Rehabilitate existing pond into a natural habitat and wetland, encouraging its use by area wildlife. Provide a teepee-inspired sculptural observation pavilion and deck.
The Opportunity A restored pond will nurture and create a haven and water source for neighborhood wildlife providing these essential elements for a healthy and sustainable wildlife habitat: • Food Sources. For example: Native plants, seeds, fruits, nuts, berries, nectar • Places for Cover. For example: Thicket, rockpile, birdhouse • Places to Raise Young. For example: Dense shrubs, vegetation, nesting box, pond • Sustainable Gardening. For example: Mulch, compost, rain garden, chemical-free fertilizer Native grasses, marsh vegetation, natural material and drainage culverts will create better floodwater filtration and reduce flooding on nearby roads. A teepee pavilion and decking will provide a partly covered and camouflaged observation area to enable up close study and photography of wildlife while keeping a low profile, much like a pit blind used for waterfowl hunting. The teepee design is a nod to the Catskill Indians who inhabited the Saugerties area for many years before and during the period of European discovery and settlement.
The Solution Drawing from personal and professional relationships and a collaborative approach in his media and graphic design career, owner Tripp Bassett has assembled a team of internationally renowned, award winning pioneers and instructors in their fields to conceptualize and create a truly unique and imaginative approach to this property’s landscape experience. New York City-based landscape architects Terrain define themselves as “a commitment to design excellence and innovative construction techniques, making sustainability build-able and creating ecologies for our times.” In November of 2008, Terrain received the American Society of Landscape Architect’s Residential Design Merit Award. Teepee pavilion architects at Ball Nogues Studio “consistently seek out new materials, technologies, and fabrication processes to challenge themselves and push the boundaries of architecture. They believe that a project is not architecture until it is built, and they are committed to building their unique visions.” Ball Nogues Studio were the 2007 winners of the Young Architects Program competition hosted by P.S.1 in Queens and the Museum of Modern Art. They are also recipients of the 2007 USA Target Fellows Award in Architecture and Design among numerous other honors.
Project Description Part 1 Exploratory of Pond: Based on meetings and site visits by Tripp Bassett with Terrain and Ball Nogues Studio, Terrain created drawings of proposed pond renovation, including observation pavilion, walking paths, bridges and deck locations. They have also devised diagrams to serve as direction for plantings:
Project Description Part 2 Exploratory of Teepee: Ball Nogues Studio, with the guidance and oversight of Thorton Tomasetti engineering services, has conceptualized a 24 foot high teepee-inspired, pond side observation pavilion constructed from a stainless steel metal mesh “skirt” roofing system suspended from three telephone poles with concrete footings to cover and camouflage a circular stonewall sitting area beneath about 16 feet in diameter:
We look forward to the possibility of enhancing this property’s historical importance, while improving our neighborhood’s wildlife and sustainability through thoughtful planning and monumental design with the vision and talents of this exceptional team.