How can we help protect urban songbirds without compromising their natural instincts for survival? Edinburgh College of Art’s fresh, new designer Nan Wen created a series of artifacts to explore how humans can help city birds protect themselves from both urban and natural elements with minimal intervention. Spotted at the recent New Designers 2011 exhibition in London, ‘Birdhouses for the city garden’ consists of a series of bird shelters to be used in gardens and outdoors places to create a safe haven for city birds, while encouraging the winged-ones to use their innate skills.
Because Nan Wen believes that in today’s society, environmental pollution and animal protection are the most urgent problems, she went into designing pieces to make people think about how we should peacefully share the natural environment with animals. Her birdhouses are made from different materials such as wood, iron, bamboo, ceramics, plastics and adorned with small plastic leaves and flowers for a bit of kitsch. The birdhouses also appear as a natural extension to the environment, providing birds with a stable base upon which to build their shelter. The design both respects the spirit of nature, and creates an effective solution in an urban environment.
Photo © Nan Wen
Lead photo © Ana Lisa Alperovich for inhabitat