Project length: 7 weeks
Third year studio class
Tools used: Sketching, Model making, SolidWorks, KeyShot
Project Background
This project consisted of choosing a bird species and creating a bird house that is designed to fit the specific needs of the species.
Research
To begin this project a lot of research was required. I began by researching different bird species and learning about their characteristics and habitats. I decided to design my bird house for the House Sparrow.
After choosing a species, I gathered information about the specific qualities of the House Sparrow such as the birds characteristics, diet, habitat and nesting patterns.
Characteristics
The House Sparrow is a stocky, plump bird, with short legs, a thick and conical bill and a large rounded head. They have a fuller and chunkier chest compared to indigenous American sparrows.
Diet
House Sparrows eat mostly seeds and grains, as well as livestock feed. In urban areas they readily feed on food discarded by humans.
Habitat
The House Sparrow is an extremely widespread bird and can be found in North, Central, and South America, as well as Eurasia, Australia, and Africa.
House Sparrows adopt to areas that have been modified by humans such as cities, parks, suburbs, farms, and other urban areas. As well as natural habitats such as forests, meadows, grasslands, woodlands, and more.
Nesting Habits
House Sparrows consider almost any property when scouting for a place to nest and often choose holes of buildings and other structures. The bird stuffs materials into the hole until the available volume is nearly filled.
Mood Board
I was inspired by existing bird houses with organic shapes. The concept of introducing organic shapes into the urban environment was a major focus when developing the shape/direction for my design.
Exploratory Sketches
Prototypes
Through these prototypes I was able to explore different shapes, ventilation methods, cleaning/ opening methods as well as the proper approach to construct the final model.
Constructed using foam core, cardboard, sewing pins and wood veneer.
Final Model
I chose to construct the final model out of corrugated foam core to achieve the organic bends in the overall shape. I applied wood veneer over the foam core to imitate bent wood. For the front panel, I laser cut clear acrylic to achieve the fine details in the ventilation design and applied a silver vinyl to the outside to imitate the look of steel.
Final Presentation Boards
General Assembly & Tech Drawings
