A design proposal for an iconic observation tower that responds to the dominant indigenous construction material of the northwest at a macro and micro scale. The tower proposes the use of large glulam wood columns that grow from the earth as organic stems or trunks leaving open voids for framed views as it rises to it's full height.
The overall scale of the tower is reminiscent, and a reminder, of the mammoth old growth trees long ago harvested to near extinction. This deferential scale reference, is facilitated by the more sustainable construction technique of engineered laminated members. The wood laminations provide a visual and tactile feel akin to the fibers of the wood at a human scale. The fluid and organic voids created by the undulating laminated columns are inspired by the flowing structural of wood fibers at a microscopic level.
