Artist-led bat house gives a lead to building design of the future
WWT is marking today's centenary of the birth of our founder, Sir Peter Scott, by urging architects, builders and home-improvers to follow his lead and do work which benefits wildlife as well as people.
The call coincides with the opening this morning of Britain's architect-designed home for bats on a lakeside site at the WWT London Wetland Centre.
The building results from an open competition, initiated by the Turner Prize-winning artist, Jeremy Deller and supported by a partnership involving Arts Council England, the Bat Conservation Trust, the Mayor of London, Plus Equals, the RSA Arts and Ecology Centre and WWT, with sponsorship from The Berkeley Group.
Speaking on behalf of the partners, before the opening, WWT director, Kevin Peberdy said: "Sir Peter Scott spent his life trying to bring people closer to wildlife. Today - the centenary of his birth - it's clear we're in danger of getting too close for comfort. The competition between us for space is growing, meaning that one challenge of the next 100 years will be to devise new and imaginative ways for people and wildlife to live together. The Berkeley Bat House is a symbol of what can be achieved when artists, architects, the construction industry and wildlife advocates collaborate. But symbols alone won't carry forward Peter Scott's legacy. We need to start thinking about the impacts on biodiversity whenever and wherever we take down old buildings, put up new ones or make alterations - and adopt designs, materials and methods which are good for wildlife and people."
