STONE HARBOR MANOR – As part of The Wetlands Institute’s 2016 Winter Lecture Series, the institute will present a retrospect on the legacy of the late award-winning architect Malcolm Wells.
The program at The Wetlands Institute, 1075 Stone Harbor Blvd. will be March 18, at 6 p.m. The presentation will be given by professor and planner Rev. Wayne Conrad. He will reflect on how Wells’ work was inspired by the beauty of nature, and a need for a more sustainable world.
The program is also presented in cooperation with members of The New Jersey Chapter of the American Institute of Architects and the 501C 3 Between the Times.
After an initial presentation focusing on the architectural innovation and ecological sensitivity which characterized Wells’ work, there will be responses from an architect, ecologist, and theologian, each familiar with Wells’ work.
Wells designed the Wetlands Institute building. The institute, a nonprofit environmental organization, is on the causeway linking Middle Township and Stone Harbor.
The institute was a testing ground for many of his “gentle ideas” that were incorporated into subsequent projects. This was only after he designed the 1964 RCA World’s Fair Pavilion.
Other notable structures of his design include his underground office, nestled at the edge of Cooper River Parkway in Cherry Hill, the Law School Building at Rutgers Camden, the Cherry Hill Library, three church sanctuaries, and his home office and art gallery on Cape Cod, Mass.
At the time of his death, in 2009, The New York Times referred to Wells as the father of “gentle architecture.”
The innovative features incorporated into Wells’ 1960s and 70s works included parking lots paved with oyster shells, utilization of percolation troughs to return roof water runoff to the underground aquifer, interior gardens to create oxygen-rich air for breathing, development of landscaped water retention lakes, maximum utilization of south-facing windows to increase solar gain for heating and incorporation of super-insulated skylights for interior daylighting.
However, his best known, but most controversial, design feature was the practice of “earth sheltering” in which he waterproofed his gently sloping roofs by covering them with three to four feet of soil, and then planting them with native grasses and shrubs.
Reservations are required, admission will be charged. Contact The Wetlands Institute at 609-368-1211.
In the spirit of covered dish dinners, attendees are asked to bring an appetizer, entrée, salad or dessert to share with at least eight. At time of RSVP, please notify staff as to what dish is being brought to the dinner.
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