An architecture studio in Somerset, England, is showing how a small structure can do a lot of work when it is designed for durability, reuse, and the realities of a wet site.
At Honeygar Farm, Pearce+ built a wildlife tower intended to host a mix of species, including bats, owls, kestrels, invertebrates, and wetland wildlife. The project supports a broader effort by the Somerset Wildlife Trust to turn a former farm into restored wetland habitat, alongside a new research and education center.
The tower is elevated on masonry piers, a straightforward move with big benefits in flood-prone ground. Above that base, the team used timber and corrugated metal reclaimed from the farm itself. Pearce+ founder Owen Pearce said the goal was to create long-term wildlife infrastructure that can endure, while giving different species a place to nest or shelter.
The form and layout were driven by the needs of multiple occupants. Barn owls, for example, need protected, raised nesting spaces, which informed the tower’s height and the placement of wildlife boxes near the top. Lower down, the masonry does more than carry load. Textured masonry and untreated timber create small niches for insects, and the spaces within the piers can serve as shelter for amphibians or small mammals.
For mason contractors, the practical lesson is that masonry assemblies can solve two problems at once. A pier foundation can lift wood and metal elements out of standing water, and it can also create intentional cavities and rough surfaces that support habitat. The story also highlights the jobsite reality of reclaimed materials. Pearce+ noted that finding, sorting, and judging suitability can be unpredictable, so crews should plan time for assessment before construction gets rolling.
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