root
East Texas Design Build
The University of Texas at Austin / Spring 2023
Professor: Coleman Coker
Team: Keely Morgan, Miguel Magtaan, Laura Bui, Sebastian Bartlett, Ciara Hackman, Madelaine Hamilton, Paula Cano, Yusuf Derya, Ana de Salvidea, Katherine Shirley, Annie Hayes, Aya Kousa
Achievements: Spring 2023 Excellence in Wood Design / Texas Forestry Association
Owned and managed by the T.L.L. Temple Foundation, the Boggy Slough Conservation area was set aside to become a hands-on ecological laboratory and model of excellence for East Texas landowners. Through research and engagement, the organization promotes conservation, management, and stewardship of natural resources. The studio was tasked with designing and building a low-impact pavilion structure to be used by visitors on the North end of the nineteen-thousand acre site.
The design balances key intentions to (1) engage with the landscape, (2) respect historical context, and (3) meet the contemporary needs and values of the client organization. The final pavilion emerges as a flexible resting place within the forest, firmly linked to the environment through its materiality, structure, and view framing. It stands atop an existing concrete slab, a remnant of an old hunting lodge, that ties the project to the rich history of Boggy Slough. The slab’s new life reflects the transformation of the site’s function, as well as the client’s vision for the future.
Section Looking Ea