Jim Hamm Nature Area

Originally built in 1976, the Jim Hamm Nature Area comprises 24 acres, including a 14-acre pond. In 1997, a three-phase master plan was made to make improvements on the park. Part of these improvements included a bird blind which would allow visitors watch birds in their natural habitat without disturbing them. The sculptural bird-blind concept aimed to express the relationship between a natural wildlife preserve and the surrounding community that would enjoy it. The challenge was to create something that wasn’t just functional, but beautiful at the same time and complement the natural beauty of the site.

Approach

Parasoleil’s pattern guru, Uriah Bueller, started by spending a day on site, photographing much of the vegetation and vistas. From there he created a grid using the angles of the trees on-site, layering those images to create a complex pattern. The seams of the panels were hidden within the pattern’s branches and created a dual-layer “mesh” pattern to create structural integrity. All these efforts combined to create a screen that is equal parts functional camouflage and sculpture.