New hospital at Awendaw center really is for the birds

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International Birds of Prey Center's new hospital

The new hospital at International Birds of Prey Center in Awendaw was designed to blend in with its surroundings. But it's also designed to provide an efficient working space for nursing injured raptors back to health and helping out in the event of a large-scale oil spill along the south Atlantic Coast.

AWENDAW — As architects Reggie Gibson and David Thompson inspect their recently completed hospital at the International Center for Birds of Prey, they get perhaps the nicest compliment they could have hoped for.

Carole Ludwig, the center's new veterinarian, says she has only worked in the building for a few days but she likes its understated design.

"It's almost like it's part of the pine trees," she says.

"That's great," Thompson replies.

"Thank you," Gibson adds.

The hospital isn't meant to impress. It's meant to provide efficient working space for nursing injured raptors back to health and for hosting a large-scale cleanup of oil-stained birds should such an environmental disaster strike somewhere along the south Atlantic Coast.

It also was designed not to compete with the scenic beauty of the center's 200-acre forested site not far from the Intracoastal Waterway.

And because the center is a nonprofit, the hospital's design also was driven by the balance between creating something attractive while assuring donors that their money was spent wisely, not lavishly.

"Since people are giving you money, it's utilitarian. But at the same time, it's a nice place to work," Gibson says. "It's interesting to us to find something that walks that balance. ... A lot of it is driven by how simple can you make it? You don't want to waste a bunch of money."

The hospital's form is simple: A pair of one-story rectangles joined by a small breezeway. The two spaces reflect its dual role.

"We tried to make it as small as possible, to recede into the treeline," Thompson says.

The green siding was based on the enclosure green, a dark green designed to resemble undergrowth beneath the pines. The brown stain matches the pine straw on the ground.

The building would fade into the forest even more if its roof were dark, but Thompson says the lighter, more reflective material was a must in this hot climate.

"There would be such a drastic difference in the heat gain if it's black instead of white," he says.

Even with the reflective roof, the building still has an oversized air-conditioning system because of the need to have positive pressure in some treatment rooms.

"It's also like a (regular human) hospital," Gibson says. "It's got all the air-exchange requirements and surgical-suite requirements."

As Gibson and Thompson walk through, clinic director Grace Gasper changes the bandages on the talons of a red-tailed hawk known as case No. 3997 (the 3,997th bird the center has cared for). The bird was found starving on a roadside in Ravenel, but its weight already is up 35 percent since it arrived, and it likely will be released back into the wild one day.

Only about half the hospital is used on a daily basis. The other section was designed to handle birds affected by a large-scale oil spill.

This half contains a triage area, a small examination room, a large holding room with a necropsy room or morgue attached, an isolation room, and a wash-and-rinse room. Outside is an open field on which dozens of wading pools could be set to give the recuperating birds a chance to splash in the water as they rebuild the natural oils under their feathers (oils that would have been washed off along with the spilled oil).

The hospital really contains two other buildings, too — about a football field away. These are two enclosures in which birds can remain while they're recuperating. They're mostly made from 2-by-4 slats and green corrugated translucent roofing. In one, raptors can fly around the octagonal perimeter as they regain their health.

Gibson has worked at the center for years, designing a plan for the enclosures that house the center's permanent residents — those birds that cannot recover enough to survive in the wild. The same design can be modified in size, height, screens, light and ground cover to match the needs of species.

Corrugated sheets are sunk two feet into the ground so raccoons and snakes can't burrow under and enter the enclosures. They also are designed with a central hall that acts as a backup containment space in case a bird escapes from its enclosure. The roofs are translucent so keepers don't need to turn on the lights.

The center is open only by appointment these days, but that could change in the not-too-distant future. Gibson and Thompson are designing both a welcome center and an educational building.

When it's done, more people will be able to see why this is a special place — both because of what's been built and for what's been left alone.

Robert Behre may be reached at 937-5771 or by fax at 937-5579. His e-mail address is rbehre@postandcourier.com, and his mailing address is 134 Columbus St., Charleston, SC 29403.