Ecological Performance Through Design and Digital Fabrication of Bird Habitats

This paper presents the process and outcomes of a design studio offered at Illinois School of Architecture. The studio challenged students to design Bird Refuge Installations for migratory birds along Chicago's Montrose Point Bird Sanctuary Lakefront. Students researched and selected their bird species as the clients of the artificial nests, which included Purple Martin (19-20 cm), Eastern Bluebird (16-21 cm), and Piping Plover (17-18 cm). The habits and habitat requirements of each species informed the design of the artificial habitat. Next, 3D printed formwork (3DPF), was employed as the digital fabrication method to produce molds for repeatable casting of artificial habitats. Students designed and prototyped at various scales — staring at 1:4 scale, scaling up to 1:2 and then 1:1. There was a frequent iterative loop between design of the habitat, design of the mold, casting a nest instance and then demolding the cast piece.