On Saturday, May 18, thirteen UVa School of Architecture Alumni and friends gathered at Morris Arboretum's "Out on a Limb" with the designer of exhibit, Alan Metcalfe of Metcalfe Architecture and Design.
Alan began by giving us some history and context about Morris Arboretum. Rather than the more rigid style of gardening that is exemplified by Versailles Gardens, the founders John and Lydia Morris preferred the more Picturesque style of the English.
The challenge was to create an exhibit showcasing trees and their stewardship that could attract a younger clientele who have at their disposal a dizzying array of attention-grabbing video games. And yet, Alan, with a very multidisciplinary team, was able to do so with "Out on a Limb."
Paul Meyer (pictured above), the Executive Director of Morris Arboretum, also dropped by briefly to tell us about the incredible success of "Out on a Limb." When other kinds of funding was dropping off, their membership and visiting rates increased as much as 30%, and he attributes that in strong part to the popularity of this exhibit.
Alan then led us to the ceremonial gateway of the walk. The pathway desires to instill a certain "perception of fear" - that thrill that makes an experience truly memorable, especially for kids. To achieve this sense, Alan and his team explored methods of "dematerializing" the pathway. A parallel goal was to rarefy the pathway to throw the focus on the surrounding trees which are the true subject of the exhibit, but this needed to be balanced by the need to accomodate strollers and absolute safety. What emerged is the structurally-sound walkway that begins as solid wood, and then visually melts underfoot with transparent bar grate and even gives way in a net!
The pavilion emerged as a fascinating dialogue between wood craftsmen and steelworkers. They quite literally had to design a joint that would unify the two trades in one unified whole.
From the pavilion, we visited the bird's nest, where Alan and his team took great pains to scale the space down to a child's space. The windows and openings, for example, are placed so a seated child can peer out at the wilderness.
Back through the pavilion, we headed out to hang amongst the tree canopy. There are three layers of netting, and it's tested for safety regularly, but there's really nothing quite like the experience of walking on swaying netting!
We concluded by taking a quick walk underneath the structure where the Metcalfe Architecture and Design team worked hard to design it just as rigorously as every other aspect of this exhibit, even though it was less likely to be seen by the public. Here, Alan explained that components can collapse independently without harming the entire structure. Also, in the event that a nearb tree collapses on to the structure, components can be dismantled and moved elsewhere. They placed the pile footings with utmost care not to destroy near by tree roots. Even the diagonal bracing was designed less symmetrically and more randomly to be more in tune with the natural pattern of tree branches.
We all had a truly wonderful time. Thanks again, Alan Metcalfe!
Photos and article all by Sophia Lee.
