Oxbow Field Station

Oxbow Field Station
© Eduard Epp

OXBOW FIELD STATION

Matt Cibinel, Michael Chan, Taren Wan, Elaine Pang, Thilini Samarasekera, Richard Chiang, Jen Rac, Scott Dean, Alex Needham

ARCHITECTS
Matt Cibinel, Michael Chan, Taren Wan, Elaine Pang, Thilini Samarasekera, Richard Chiang, Jen Rac, Scott Dean, Alex Needham

DEPARTMENT OF PLANT SCIENCE
Dr. Peter McVetty, Ms. Martha Blouw, Mr. Ian Brown, Mr. Bob Terhorst

CATEGORY
Watching Tower

YEAR
2010

PHOTOGRAPHS
Eduard Epp

COST
$5,300.00 CDN

DEPARTMENT OF ARCHITECTURE
Prof. Frank Fantauzzi

LOCATION
Canada

WORKSHOP AND CAST
Mr. Keith Millan, Mr. Rick Finney

Text description provided by architect.

The Oxbow Field Station was realized in the context of a Sustainable Design Studio offered by the Department of Architecture, under the direction of Professor Eduard Epp, together with a group of 9 under / graduate design students.

Oxbow Field Station
© Eduard Epp
Oxbow Field Station
© Eduard Epp
Oxbow Field Station
© Eduard Epp

The project was conceived to: provide a studio space for site meetings and fieldwork; serve as ‘an instrument’ to measure on-site habitability, and; establish a compelling sense of place for the future artist’s colony.

The initial survey work and design began in September and its construction was completed by mid-December 2010.

The field station site is located on the Uiniversity of Manitoba (UM), Faculty of Agriculture Point Lands. The 130 acre landscape is distinctly agricultural, surrounded by a pastoral river bottom forest along the banks of the Red River.

Oxbow Field Station
© Eduard Epp
Oxbow Field Station
© Eduard Epp
Oxbow Field Station
© Eduard Epp

The field station site is subject to seasonal on-site flooding and from the Red River should it crest the site’s perimeter levee.

The building site and building floor plate were determined after finding an abandoned structure on the Point Lands. Only the wood base remained and it was partially reconstructed as the ‘foundation’.

Oxbow Field Station
© Eduard Epp
Oxbow Field Station
© Eduard Epp

It also provided some 8 feet between the flood prone land and the field station studio. A canoe will be used to access the field station should significant flooding occur.

Project building materials were sourced according to salvaged, reclaimed (repurposed), or new. These include concrete, wood, steel, plastic and glass: 80% salvaged and / or reclaimed and; 20% new materials.

Oxbow Field Station
© Eduard Epp
Oxbow Field Station
© Eduard Epp

Approximately 90% of the materials were produced locally or regionally.

With a clear idea of the building materials available, a collaborative studio design process followed to yield the final design.

Oxbow Field Station
© Eduard Epp
Oxbow Field Station
© Eduard Epp

The on-site wood trellis frames were disassembled and milled. These were used on the approach, the ladder wall, and the building envelope.

A salvaged cottage deck provided the interior floor and the rooftop observation deck. Some 200 salvaged fluorescent light covers provided exterior cladding on the south and west elevations to provide diffuse light to the field station interior.

Oxbow Field Station
© Eduard Epp
Oxbow Field Station
© Eduard Epp

Cottage windows, dating from circa 1910, were reclaimed to provide clear fenestration along the east and north elevations.

The Oxbow Field Station studio measures approximately 14 ft. x 14 ft. Together with a rooftop viewing deck the building stands some 20 ft. above grade.

A ladder wall connects the on-grade platform, studio and rooftop deck. The building is comprised of new wood frame construction built upon a post and beam structure.

Oxbow Field Station
© Eduard Epp
Oxbow Field Station
© Eduard Epp

The building skin, the floor surfaces, the deck railing, and so on are constructed with salvaged and reclaimed materials.

The project cost totaled $5,300.00 CDN (average cost of $9.00 / sq. ft. gross).

Oxbow Field Station
© Eduard Epp
Oxbow Field Station
© Eduard Epp

All of the labor was provided by the students with some assistance from members in the Faculty of Agriculture, the Faculty of Architecture, and the UM Physical Plant.

This project was made possible with the support of: 

University of Manitoba

Administration, Ass.VP., Mr. Alan Simms

Faculty of Agriculture

External Financial Support

Oxbow Field Station
© Eduard Epp
Oxbow Field Station
© Eduard Epp

Raymond SC Wan Architect Inc.

Cibinel Architects Ltd.


Oxbow Field Station
© Eduard Epp
Oxbow Field Station
© Eduard Epp


Oxbow Field Station
Section
Oxbow Field Station
sketch
Oxbow Field Station
sketch