RAU Architects and RO&AD win ARC19 Detail Award

The ARC19 Detail Awards has been awarded to Bird Observatory 'Tij'. RAU Architects, in collaboration Ro&Ad Architects and commissioned by the Dream Fund project, designed a giant wooden structure in Scheelhoek nature reserve near the Haringvliet. The jury presented the award to the design with the best detailing "that contributes to the aesthetics and functionality of the building.

Bird observatory 'Tide'

RAU Architects and partners win the ARC19 Detail Award. Architect Thomas Rau: "This award is a wonderful crowning achievement for the design that is also praised internationally for the integration of architecture and nature." The observatory, consisting of reeds, chestnut poles and sand, was designed parametrically to achieve a good relationship between shape, construction, size and viewing holes. Local reeds from Scheelhoek nature reserve were used for the covering. Thomas Rau: "Using a file-to-factory-Zollinger construction, large wooden spans were created. The construction is shaped like an enormous egg of the Great Tern, a bird species that is an important part of the nature reserve. Through a hybrid wood-concrete floor, nature lovers can enjoy the impressive view of the nesting islands, the Haringvliet dam and the immediate surroundings."

Jury Report

The ARC19 Detail Award jury honors architecturally challenging, already completed projects that stand out through innovative details within a cohesive overall concept. Bird observatory 'Tij' excels in this regard. In addition, the jury praises the project's sustainable vision. The award aims to emphasize the social importance of architecture in public life.

RAU Architects

Cyclical thinking is natural to RAU. It marks a fundamentally different approach to a housing task; not resulting in a stand-alone building but as an active element in a circular system. An internationally operating architecture firm known for its progressive architecture in all respects.