Domik Ptashki

Due to the monotonous lifestyle and lack of sustainable interaction with Nature, a person lives in constant decline and internal dissatisfaction, which does not allow him to fully enjoy life. It can be corrected by expanding the boundaries of perception and gaining a new experience of human interaction with Nature. It was needed to create a birdhouse that would be equally attractive to both humans and birds.

For this project, were studied academic sources about the influence of Nature on human psychology. It was found that a person who spends more time in Nature observes and interacts with it, becomes more balanced, gains moral stability, and increases productivity. Why birds? Birds protect the environment from insect pests; their singing gives a person pleasure and pacification and has a beneficial effect on human mental health. By interacting with birds, a person can feel unity with Nature. The project team moved away from designing a traditional birdhouse. During the research stage, the designers studied the perfect nesting places of birds in Nature and studied birdhouses’ successful analogs. The project was supervised by the ornithologist of the Zhigulevsky Reserve, which is part of the Sredne-Volzhsky Integrated Biosphere Reserve under the protection of UNESCO, candidate of biological sciences, senior researcher Galina Lebedeva. For the help in developing the design of the birdhouse, the Neverovs’ carpentry workshop experimented with hardwood: beech, ash, oak and birch; various proportions of the house were tested, and the mechanism for opening and closing the birdhouse was also worked out.

We tried to minimize negative aspects to make it easier for the birds to settle in the house: we removed sharp corners, making the birdhouse less visible in the natural environment, developed a more user-friendly mechanism for opening and closing the house, and provided for the option of safely placing the house on a tree without using additional fasteners. The project uses only natural materials and impregnations that do not pollute the environment and can be recycled entirely.

The main challenge was finding a balance in the design. On the one hand, the product should be as close as possible to the natural habitat of birds, be safe for the environment, and not have bright colors and odors. On the other hand, it must have a stable structure to withstand climatic changes and extreme temperatures from -30 ℃ to + 30 ℃. Also, the house should be attractive to people, be convenient for use in gardens, parks and personal plots. By design, the birdhouse is close to a natural hollow, and its round shape reduces the impact of rain, snow and wind. The deep cylindrical shape of the taphole and the arrangement of wood fibers prevent predatory animals and birds from ruining the house. Thanks to its low center of gravity, it can be securely fastened between branches without damaging the tree. To fix the house on the wall of the house, a pole, or a high fence, a special stand is used. The house is collapsible and easy to clean at the end of the season. The birdhouse opening-closing mechanism is made entirely of wood.

Try yourself as an ornithologist, watch birds, take care of the environment – this is what a person gets from interacting with the Bird’s House. When determining a place for a birdhouse, it is important to remember that when choosing a place for nesting, birds prefer quiet places, at a height of at least 2-3 m from the ground and at a distance of 15-20 m from the nests of other birds. The ornithologist said that the best time to install a birdhouse is autumn, not spring, and that it is correct to orient the entrance to the south if you live in northern latitudes and to the north if southern. After the birds have left their nest, it is recommended to clean the contents of the birdhouse by scalding it from the inside with boiling water or treating it with a solution of potassium permanganate to remove parasites. If a crack appears on the birdhouse, do not rush to close it yourself, the birds close up small cracks themselves. If you decide to renovate your home, use only natural materials: tow, wood, clay or natural wax.

Designers/Architects

Directed by Igor Dydykin, Project manager Ludmila Sapalova, 3D model designer Nikita Trofimenko, Prototypes made by Neverovs carpentry workshop, Product photographer & retoucher Anzelika Dydykina, Nature photographer Vladimir Dydykin, Project supervisor Ornithologist Galina Lebedeva, PhD.

Company

Penates.place