SplitFrame is a wildlife-viewing structure designed and constructed to maximize environmental exposure while minimizing impact. At the core of the project are two integral pieces - a floating Observation Deck and an elevated Viewing Station - connected via a hinged staircase, allowing the Observation Deck to rise and fall with the seasonal change in water levels. The project is situated at the end of a long berm, a vestige of the wildlife sanctuary's former use as a commercial cranberry bog. This existing berm was integrated into the project as an access path, drawing visitors out over the water, under the Viewing Station, and onto a ramp to the Observation Deck.
Informed by research on sustainable construction technologies and building materials, design precedents, and the project's 19-acre site, SplitFrame was undertaken as a collaborative research/design/build project involving 15 undergraduate architecture students, the design studio instructor, two ornithology research scientists, and the Audubon Society client. Students learned ways to focus and apply design research, manage a limited budget, limited materials, and limited site access, while the client regained access to the sanctuary.
The site, a wildlife sanctuary formerly used as a commercial cranberry bog - had been flooded by a family of beavers and was largely underwater. The Audubon Society sought a means to regain access to the site and interact with the range of its shifting conditions.
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