Architecture for the Birds

An intriguing project is on display through the weekend in our Atrium – Architecture for the Birds: A Design Competition for Beginning Architecture Students. NDSU architecture students have taken the needs of a particular species of bird, then designed a house that fits their needs while calling upon the design philosophy of a well-known architect. Here’s a photo:

This is a home designed for an eastern bluebird designed around the philosophy of Swiss architects Jacques Herzog and Pierre de Meuron, designers of the De Young Museum in San Francisco. The designer of the birdhouse writes that “a focus on the strong parallel lines used in the landscape, rooftop and interior spaces inspired my design.”

Another:

This is a home for a kestrel, a type of falcon. It’s designed around the work of modernist architect Richard Meier and based on his design for the Jubilee Church in Rome.

And one more:

This design is for the aptly named house wren inspired by the work of British architect Richard Rogers. As wrens typically build nests in tangles and thickets, Rogers’ functionalist idea that the inner workings of a building be made visible mirrors the needs of the wren.

So far, we’ve seen a sizable turnout of visitors to see the houses and our usual Thursday lunch crowd took a few curious moments to wander among them. Not only are they interesting on their own, but the display itself, overall, is a bit of eye candy:

Again, the birdhouses will only be up through the weekend, so come by and vote for your favorite. The winner of the vote will receive a “people’s choice” award. A professional jury will also award prizes. The Audobon Society will hold an auction of the birdhouses after their display in an effort to support the health and habitat of birds in our region. You can go to www.audobon.org for details.

(All photos by Britta Trygstad, Milestones Photography)