Transformed from post-industrial site to wildlife paradise, Smith Oaks Sanctuary is a lush, leafy landscape in High Island, Texas. The green expanse has just been enhanced with the light, expert touch of internationally acclaimed landscape architecture firm SWA Group and the industrial reuse designs of New York- and Houston-based architecture studio Schaum/Shieh. Central to the concept is a raised walkway that allows for birdwatching and experiencing the striking nature from the tree canopy level.
The Kathrine G McGovern Canopy Walkway is a 700ft-long, 18ft-high boardwalk ‘that elevates then threads visitors up into and through a canopy refuge long-known to the birding community as an important stopover for migratory birds', explain the team. Made out of wood and weathered steel pipes, the structure nods to the site’s historic oil and gas infrastructure. Robust, but also cutting a light figure, the walkway was designed to perfection for the sanctuary's ecology. It leads to a vantage point that allows visitors to observe migratory birds.
Meanwhile, remnants of the site's industrial past enrich the environment's architectural landscape. A salt dome, for example, rises and protects the surrounding marshland from tides and storm surge. More existing abandoned infrastructure was put to good use, reinvented for the purposes of the sanctuary.
Enter Schaum/Shieh, which transformed a 1930s oil-extraction concrete-and-brick pump house into a visitor centre. The historic brick structure was thoroughly cleaned and exposed, creating an almost-minimalist, utilitarian pavilion for information and regrouping. A smaller, new-build, gable-roofed structure nearby serves as the park's restrooms. Its gentle green colour allows it to blend with its surroundings.
‘Today, High Island offers a new perspective for birders, where the productivity of its land was once measured in barrels,' says the team. ‘While Texas has a spotty history when it comes to understanding its scarred landscapes, Canopy Walk at High Island offers a site with layers of history that collide to support a unique ecology, especially conducive to the avian and their birder fans.'
INFORMATION
-
Wallpaper* checks in at the refreshed W Hollywood: ‘more polish and less party’The W Hollywood introduces a top-to-bottom reimagining by the Rockwell Group, capturing the genuine warmth and spirit of Southern California
-
Book a table at Row on 5 in London for the dinner party of dreamsRow on 5, the first restaurant ever to open on Savile Row, emerges as a perfectly tailored fit for fans of fan dining
-
How a bijou jewellery salon in Monaco set the jewellery trends for 2025Inside the inaugural edition of Joya, where jewellery is celebrated as miniature works of art
-
A vacant Tribeca penthouse is transformed into a bright, contemporary eyrieA Tribeca penthouse is elevated by Peterson Rich Office, who redesigned it by adding a sculptural staircase and openings to the large terrace
-
We walk through Luther George Park and its new undulating pavilionLuther George Park by Trahan Architects and landscape architects Spackman Mossop Michaels opens to the public, showcasing a striking new pavilion installation – take a first look
-
A vibrant new waterfront park opens in San FranciscoA waterfront park by leading studio Scape at China Basin provides dynamic public spaces and coastal resilience for San Francisco's new district of Mission Rock
-
Tekαkαpimək Contact Station: a building ‘as inspiring as the endless forest and waterways of the land’The new Tekαkαpimək Contact Station by Saunders Architecture with Reed Hilderbrand and Alisberg Parker Architects, opens at Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument in the USA
-
Entelechy II: architect John Portman's majestic beach home hits the marketEntelechy II, architect John Portman's beach residence in Georgia, USA, goes on the market; roll up, roll up for a home that is as grand as it is playful
-
First look: Honolulu's Victoria Place blends cosmopolitan living with Hawaii life and natureVictoria Place is a new residential tower at Honolulu's Ward Village; take a first look at its interiors
-
A look inside the home of George Homsey, one of the fathers of pioneering California modernist community Sea RanchGeorge Homsey's home opens for the first time since his death, in 2019; see where the architect behind some of the designs for Sea Ranch, the pioneering California modernist community, lived
-
Step inside a Brooklyn Brownstone that bridges old and new'Brooklyn Brownstone' has been refreshed by Jon Powell Architects (JPA) and the result is a contemporary design rooted in modern elegance
