A team from the Institute for Advanced Architecture of Catalonia (IAAC) has constructed a timber observatory in a Barcelona forest to support analyses of nature. The group of students and researchers from the institution’s Masters in Advanced Ecological Buildings and Biocities program were inspired by the hanging walkways of American biologist Margaret D. Lowman.

Located in the city’s Collserola Natural Park, and named the Forest Lab for Observational Research and Analysis (FLORA), the facility seeks to provide researchers a space to live and work in the forest canopy. Among the observatory’s facilities are a bird radio, bird houses, working and projection space, as well as bird watching spaces.

The observatory’s design process began with students studying the biodiversity of the forest, including identifying various inhabitants from underground, aboveground, canopy, and sky levels. The research allowed the team to determine the structures and dimensions necessary for the scheme’s construction, as well as the types of materials that could be used.

The resulting mass timber project measures 27 feet in height and was constructed from invasive pine trees sourced within the park. Seventy trees were cut and processed by the master students to create cross-laminated timber panels, laminated beams, and solid wood elements.

The observatory’s CLT core rests on four glulam timber columns, while the bridges are made of homemade glue-laminated timber with a maximum span of 39 feet. The CLT structure is protected by two layers of natural cork panels to provide thermal and acoustic insulation.

The observatory is surrounded by a net that draws influence from a hunter’s nest. Designed digitally before being woven together by hand, the net seeks to better camouflage the project by allowing plants to spread along it and blend the structure with the forest in the eyes of local wildlife.

The project is one of many projects recently constructed by IAAC teams. In February, the institution collaborated with WASP on the construction of a ‘solid and expressive’ 3D printed wall made from earth. Last year, meanwhile, an IAAC team 3D printed a zero-waste housing prototype using local earth, while a separate team of IAAC students built an advanced prototype greenhouse for food and energy production.