Student participiants:
Dana Nemcová, Volodymyr Vojevodin, Kos Šimon, Viktória Pálfy, Maciej Toszek, Alicja Kowalczyk, Julita Banaszak, Anna Kolarska, Dominik Litwin
Paweł Grabowski, Ewa Jastrząb, Patrycja Lobert
Location: Dendrological Garden
The Dendrological Garden is a separate didactic unit at the Faculty of Forestry at the University of Life Sciences in Poznań. It is a specialist garden in which woody plants, i.e. trees, shrubs and bushes are collected. The facility is of a scientific and didactic character, thus the selection of plants grown here is mainly due to the needs related to the education of students in the field of forest science in natural study fields of the University of Life Sciences. The display of individual collections has been designed in accordance with the rules that apply in modern botanical gardens, with the aim of making the best display for visitors. The collections of trees and shrubs occurring in Poland in the natural state are characteristic of this garden. Approx. 1000 species of trees were collected and planted in a systematic order. The most valuable one is one of the largest collection of native blackberry and raspberry species (Rubus) in Europe, which in 2007 received the status of the National Collection.
USERS
Students from the natural faculties actively use the Garden, every year over 200 people take several hours of practice in it. A lot of scientific research is carried out both directly in the Garden and on the material collected in it. Conducting educational activities concerns not only didactic classes with students, but also broadly understood education and popularisation of botanical knowledge. In the Garden there is a nature trail „Our Forest Trees”. There are also insects – there is an educational apiary with beehives and hotels for wild pollinators. The place is looked after by the Department of Commercial Insects Breeding, there are also courses for beekeepers. Nearby there is also an automatic meteorological station collecting current weather data. In the Garden there is a place for many organised activities: Young Foresters Competition, archery tournaments, picnics, meetings and workshops for Poznań residents. Particularly families with children took a liking to this place and there is an educational offer directed to them, such as the project „Wild school in the centre of Poznan”.
FINAL RESULTS
During the first meeting with users on spot group decided to design for the central part of Dendrological Garden. Chosen spot is located near the little wild pond, surrounded by mighty trees which lend a mild and tranquil mood to the place. Nearby trees are framing an astonishing view of the water, the sound of birds allows vistitors to draw thoughts away from the busy Niestachowska street, and textures of natural materials allow relief. So the main goal for group was to preserve the intimacy of the place.
Led by feelings that they experienced on-site, and amazed by the Garden biodiversity, students decided on construction, which will allow users to focus on nature without significant interference in the landscape.
By using in project natural ground lowering of a diameter of 3 meters authors created structure- the Nest which protects visitors from the noisy ouside world. The shape of the lowering borrows the form of the existing root system as the limit so as not to disturb their growth. An elevated wooden frame is attached to the ground by metal anchors.
The frame is site-specific construction fabricated at the spot to mimic the morphology of the existing root network, covered with Siberian larch boards as a finish. The warped surface of the sunken platform allows every visitor to find a comfortable position no matter what shape type or size his body is. Different levels of terrace engage to focus on tree crowns or water reservoir depending on the user’s position. Construction was designed to handle a group of people which make it not only the oasis for contemplating nature but also meeting place for students of nearby University of Life Sciences
Tutors: Jan Ankiersztajn + Olek Nowak
Architects from Poland
Jan Ankiersztajn
Jan Ankiersztajn is an object designer based in Poland. His practice includes industrial design, architecture and interior design. Aside from his profession he is devoted to sound design and musical composition. His ongoing research speculates about the future of design in the context of acoustics. He graduated from the Design
Olek Nowak
Aleksander Nowak is a researcher, architect and urbanist based in Copenhagen. He has a particular interest in urban and strategic planning for alternative socio-political futures and emergency architecture. His recent research work spans across various fields such as mapping, data visualisation and spatio-political changes within the Danish Welfare state, circular economy in architectural industry and post-war reconstruction strategies in the MENA region. He has is also a practitioning architect who previously worked in offices such as Snøhetta and Henning Larsen Architects. Additionally, he has experience in installation art which best represents the SkyLense pavilion for the Chart Art Fair in Copenhagen and currently developed proposals for Oslo Architecture Triennale and Biennale in Shenzen. His greatest pursuit is to discover ways in which architecture could be used again as a tool for societal well-being rather than economic speculation.