The North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences held its groundbreaking ceremony recently for the future Chimney Swift Roost Tower and viewing patio, designed pro bono by Frank Harmon Architects PA, at the Prairie Ridge Ecostation in Raleigh.

The Roost Tower will serve as a restorative home for more than 5000 chimney swifts that sweep into Raleigh in late summer as they migrate south to Latin America. Many of the large chimneys the swifts once roosted in here are gone. Renovation work on aging HVAC systems, especially at schools, has removed chimneys. Prairie Ridge staff estimates that fewer than 20 to 30 large roost chimneys remain in the Raleigh-Cary area.

This Roost Tower also will provide researchers with the opportunity to study the swifts’ roosting habits and the patio will provide a viewing area for the public to enjoy this annual spectacle.

Frank Harmon has been involved in the Prairie Ridge Ecostation since he designed its award-winning Open Air Classroom building in 2005. He explained the delight of designing the Roost Tower:

“One of the most haunting memories I have of North Carolina is a solitary chimney standing alone in a meadow, the relic of a house, a family and a way of life. Of course, the new chimney swift tower we are building will have a modern and functional shape, but its place in the meadow at Prairie Ridge will be reminiscent of the solitary homestead. Godspeed to the chimney swifts!”

The Roost Tower and patio are the result of a collaboration between the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences and the Wake Audubon Society with an Innovation Grant from Toyota TogetherGreen.

Prairie Ridge Ecostation is located at 1671 Gold Star Drive off of Blue Ridge and Reedy Creek roads. For more information, contact Emelia Cowans at 919.707.9837 or via email at emelia.cowans@naturalsciences.org.

For more information on Frank Harmon, visit www.frankharmon.com.