SplitFrame; Portland, Connecticut

North Studio at Wesleyan University

SplitFrame is a wildlife viewing structure designed and constructed to maximize environmental exposure while minimizing impact, both in construction and over the projected life of the structure. Sited in a publicly accessible wildlife sanctuary, the core of the project consists of 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 site’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 pro bono collaborative research/design/build project by 15 undergraduate students, their architecture studio instructor, and a local, non-profit client. The two platform components provide an immersive site experience, bringing visitors out onto the water, and offering an overview of the sanctuary from the maple tree canopy above.
Construction Cost in whole dollars 20,000
Photographs by Elijah_Huge_North_Studio