BIRD HIDE (2019)
Mississauga, ON
Bird Hide is an outdoor shelter used to view wildlife at close quarters. Straying from traditional approaches to camouflaging viewers, Bird Hide uses a mass of large glass chunks, held within
a delicate gabion mesh, to obscure and distort light, and to conceal views to within.
The result is a distinct amenity for the wetland park: a translucent and glowing landmark that draws visitors inside and through a ramping inner space filled with light and reflections, to an elevated viewing platform projecting over the landscape.
The material choice for Bird Hide was inspired by recycled glass applications in civil engineering, infrastructure and landscape design where the material is used as a landfill cover, base surface for roadways, and aggregate fill for moisture drainage. Where these applications make glass unseen, Bird Hide makes it highly visible - and seeks to exploits its unique material qualities.
Large chunks of clear recycled glass can be produced using cullet (crushed glass). The resulting product has no loss of quality, and it reduces the need for raw materials and the use of landfills. Because it is recycled at lower temperatures than are required to make new glass from raw materials, considerable energy and cost savings can be realized. Glass slag, rejected product and manufacturing defects, and even reclaimed glass block, are all potential alternatives.