Designing For The Human Animal: Homework I want to design a birdhouse that can change the world. How arrogant! The idea is this: create a birdhouse that meets every need of the birds that will live there. Design it in such a way that it is also appealing to humans—specifically to inspire them to protect nature and have an appreciation for similar efforts.

What are the necessary ingredients to make a no-bullshit birdhouse?

No Perch:

Although the hallmark of many a quaint birdhouse, that stick that comes out just below the hole makes a great hand/foot hold for raccoons, squirrels, and other varmints to easily access the birds within. A physiology that allows flight gives birds tremendous ability to escape predators but also leaves them extremely vulnerable in close quarters encounters.

Predator Baffles:

Fastening a birdhouse to a tree allows tree-climbing critters easy access to the house allowing them to take whatever they like: eggs, chicks and even adult birds. Wooden poles are easily scaled by squirrels, raccoons and rats. Experts advocate placing birdhouses on sheer metal poles or placing obstructions on the support structure to discourage climbing access. Some bird house designs also include a canted and deep-eaved roof with the access hole far from the top of the dwelling; discouraging predators from gaining access to the nest from above.

Tiny Access Hole:

Its fascinating to humans that any bird could fit through that tiny bung hole you find in most bird houses but anything bigger than 1.4 inches will allow obnoxious immigrant birds from Europe to bum rush the house; kill any native occupants and take the dwelling as their own.

Maintenance/Monitor Hinge:

A serious birdhouse is not a build-it-and-forget-it affair. Like a human dwelling; it must be maintained. Mold, mites, wasps and feces build up and can foul the bird house quickly. Note to self: Get up off your lazy ass and go clean the birdhouse!

Heat/Drainage Vents:

Heat vents at the top and drainage holes at the bottom will allow excess heat and moisture to dissipate. Heat, moisture, darkness and bird eggs can lead to mold, bacteria, mites or similar ills.

Untreated wood:

Avian physiology has not allowed them the luxury of tolerating all the solvents, chemicals, and inorganic additives that we prefer for our dwellings. Avoid plastics, chemical treated woods or waterproofing materials. Maple and pine are highly recommended.

Rain Protection:

Like other warm-blooded animals birds need to find decent shelter from the rain. The bird house should have construction that doesn’t allow moisture to seep in. Excess water can cause mold, disease, and lead to hypothermia or even frostbite.

Sturdy Construction/Thick Walls:

Birds are delicate creatures for the purpose of flight. Their dwelling has to be sturdy however to resist predators and tough weather. Since bird house building materials can’t be weather proofed thick walls will help the dwelling to last longer and also regulate temperature.

Bird Species:

Probably more important than monitoring the dwelling, different birds have different habitation… uhh… habits. The bird house should be built for a specific type of bird or a group of bird species with similar housing requirements and body sizes. Specific measures will need to be taken to keep out ambitious predators and Europeans. (I was talkin’ bout birds! -What we’re you thinking?)

Rough/Scored Interior Walls

What a beautiful birdhouse! And lucky you, the birds actually adopted it as their home! Too bad all the chicks died inside. Smooth /sheer interior walls can make it impossible for the chicks to leave the nest. Who knew? The walls should be rough, ridged, or somehow allow the fledgling birds to climb out.

Doing research for this was not difficult. The feedback I was given, however, raises the bar on what I’ll need to create in order to claim success in this pursuit. I also found myself back pedaling a little bit on the Boy Scout bird houses that I took a shit on in my last post. Apparently my idea to build a better birdhouse is not a new one, and the boy scouts have installed a lot of features that my knowledge sources have recommended. None of this matters, though. A bet is a bet. So I’ll build this damn birdhouse since I promised it. Next post, I’ll try to showcase some existing items that might inspire the actual design of this thing.May 15, 2012|IDEAS, PROJECTS, THINGS| Tags: Birdhouse, design| Leave a comment|

Designing For The Human Animal: Discovery Just a little while back I got a chance to do some volunteer work in the prairie meadow within the Hilltop Reservation. I have a keen interest in this spot due to my own selfish desire to see what a native landscape with all the trappings might look like. But there were these bird houses, dotting the perimeter of the meadow. Something about them looked so pedestrian and token for lack of better word. The sight of them, in my opinion, completely invalidated the very real effort to encourage the masses to take the hilltop reservation seriously.