Public art to feature birdhouses as Lake Thoreau pool renovations continue

Bird houses are set to breathe more life into Lake Thoreau pool as the aging facility undergoes major renovations.

Reston Association and Public Art Reston are asking Restonians to submit proposals for bird houses through a grassroots beautification project.

Plans call for five birdhouses to remain as part of a permanent public art installation that RA says will “add visual distinction to the site and attract our feathered friends to nest above an L-shaped pollinator garden adjacent to the pool parking lot.”

Reston has no other birdhouse public art installation, according to Larry Butler, RA’s acting CEO.

“As lakes and lakeside environments are teeming with insects, it is a good location for birds to raise a family. The pathway and pool users alike will be able to enjoy the installation year-round,” Butler wrote in a statement to FFXnow.

The call for proposals is open to Reston residents only. Group submissions will be accepted and up to $250 for each house will be covered by the organizations.

Public Art Reston, which is facilitating the project, will help RA select the five artisan-designed birdhouses for the project.

“We’re looking forward to partnering with RA on this project and particularly the opportunity to elevate Reston creatives by soliciting homegrown public art to enhance and add visual distinction to a local amenity that is also bird-friendly,” said Phoebe Avery, Public Art Reston’s public art manager.

Design proposals are due by May 26, with installation expected by March 2o23. The pool is expected to open that summer. Application requirements and procedures are available online.

The renovated pool — a roughly $3.5 million undertaking — is slated to open for the 2023 pool season.