Lake Observation Tower at Sheldon Lake Environmental Learning Center

The Texas Gulf coast is blessed with an abundance of birdwatching possibilities due to its numerous wetlands and location along major migration routes.  The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, along with other park entities, has developed many refuges for birds along these routes and these have become destinations for birders from all over the world.  Among the best of these sites is the Sheldon Lake Environmental Learning Center.  Located a mere 25 miles east of downtown Houston, this wildlife habitat features a man-made reservoir, Sheldon Lake, and includes the remains of an abandoned fish hatchery.  A fine example of Texas Gulf Coast prairie land, this park has developed as a major resource for teaching the large nearby population of Houstonians, and especially school children, about their natural habitat.

The park was only lacking a vantage point with sufficient height to best view Sheldon Lake and the waterfowl regularly found there.  TPWD determined to develop a project for an observation tower to accomplish this goal.  This first-of-its-kind project for TPWD was awarded to PDG Architects to design under PDG's ongoing services contract and represented a true challenge, both aesthetically and technically.

The project's goals were to develop an observation platform located 60 feet above the ground, accessible to the physically disabled, and minimally impacting the surrounding environment.  The design includes both stairs and an elevator, with two observation platforms located at 30 feet and 60 feet above the ground.  The platforms are shaped and oriented to best take advantage of views to the lake and the surrounding prairie.  The upper platform is covered, as is the stair, with roofs that are designed to provide maximum shade during the hot summer months.

The tower's physical design blends with other structures in the park by being constructed with surplus oilfield piping - a resource abundantly available in the heavily industrialized surrounding area.  Additionally, platforms, the boardwalk, and the elevator shaft are constructed with Forest Stewardship Council certified hardwoods that are naturally resistant to rotting or insect infestation, making for a maximally sustainable design.  The result is a dramatic new feature for the park that nevertheless sits lightly upon the landscape.

It is anticipated that the tower will begin construction in May 2010, with completion in early 2011.

The estimated construction cost is $1.3 million.