BAT TOWER is a prototype building which seeks to increase public awareness of bats and highlight their critical role in our ecosystem where they are effective as natural pesticides, pollinators, and in the abatement of mosquitoes. Often considered as a kind of urban pest, bats are frequently exterminated by 'pest control' services. Their very survival is also being challenged by White Nose Syndrome, a disease which has inexplicably been wiping out large bat populations in northeastern United States.
To bring visibility to bats, BAT TOWER challenges notions of the typical off-the-shelf bat house. Rather than innocuously fading into the background, the tower stands as a prominently visible outdoor sculpture. Drawing from the idea of a vertical cave, the installation has a heavy and intense presence, contrasting the lightness and invisibility associated with do-it-yourself bat house constructions.
BAT TOWER is sited and designed to attract and facilitate bat inhabitation. Located adjacent to a pond, the site boasts an abundance of mosquitoes and other bat-attracting insects. Chives, oregano and other bat-attracting herbs are planted within the base of the tower. To help facilitate entry, the project's ribbed construction includes a series of 'landing pads' near the top of the tower. A pattern of grooves on both vertical and horizontal surfaces allows bats to more easily climb into the tower and cling to its 'ceilings.' To provide a suitably warm interior for bat roosting, dark wood panels cover the top of the tower which has been designed to encourage bat habitation.
