"Nest" Flamingo Observatory

The Design of the “Nest” عش celebrates a unique, diverse ecosystem comprising of wetlands in the heart of the Middle East in the capital city of the United Arab Emirates.
The wetlands have become an oasis of animal and plant life, attracting innumerable species of diverse wildlife to settle within the wetlands. 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 design of the “Nest” Flamingo Bird Observatory attempts to decode “construction behaviour” of birds and other related species by proposing a construction system inspired by nature driven bottom-up design processes. The construction of a nest basically includes assembling pieces of material together to compose a distinct spatial language driven by “self-build” & “locally available material” methodologies. 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.
In addition, the architectural program of the Bird Observatory consists of the following components; (1) An “Event Space” on the ground level; (2) A “Helical Ramp” that serves as an Exhibition Gallery & Bird Observatory; (3) The “Observatory” deck on the upper level and; (4) A board walk trail. The design advocates the innovative usage of sustainable technologies and materials which house the architectural components.
The Nest عش humbly explores the design of the Flamingo Bird Observatory that is both culturally and contextually relevant.

Project Location : Wetlands, Abu Dhabi, UAE
Area : 400 SqM
Height : 12.0 Meters
Structural Core : Dia-grid re-cycled structural steel assembly + Helical Structural Ramp
Skin : "Twigs" fabricated from timber & reeds
Floor : Recycled timber decking

Architects : Nudes
Nuru Karim - Founder & Principal Architect

Structural Consultant : Mane Structural Consultants

MEP : Fair Deal Consultants

"Nest" Flamingo Observatory by Nuru Karim in United Arab Emirates won the WA Award Cycle 32. Please find below the WA Award poster for this project.