Bird house

These days designers have animals on the brain.

The critter-friendly habitats that Fritz Haeg created for the Whitney Biennial still stand in the museum courtyard, three weeks after the show closed.

More recently, Phillips de Pury & Company, a New York-based auctioneer, commissioned 24 designers, including Max Lamb, Martino Gamper, Jurgen Bey, and Michael Young (above), to create habitats for the United Kingdom’s endangered bee, bat, and bird species. While taking the living requirements of each species into account, the designers used only the company’s waste—crates, catalogues, wood, and cardboard used to pack, ship, and display artwork—to make these works.
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What I learned from watching this clip:

1. As The Handy Craftsman Jerry Bennett says, "If you're thinking about making a gourd birdhouse, you should have started thinking about it last year." I beg to differ: If you're willing the relinquish control of the gourd-dying process—and, really, who isn't?—you can buy a pre-dried gourd at a craft supply or florist shop and be good to go the same day.

2. Birds are very particular about the size of hole they're willing to go in. Check the chart at Amishgourds.com to plan yours accordingly. Read More »