The Refuge Birdhouse was a Third Year Studio project. We were tasked with coming up with unique, yet appropriate concepts for birdhouses aimed at specific species of birds. After some preliminary research and ideation, I came up with the idea for Refuge - a birdhouse in a birdhouse. The concept was based on the fact that, in the North East, bluebirds migrate South during the winter, and Chickadees stay put. Thus, in the summer Refuge splits into two birdhouses, one for chickadees, and one for bluebirds. In the winter, the chickadee house can be inserted into the bluebird house and hung upside-down, effectively creating an insulated brooding box for chickadees in the winter.

The body of the final model (bottom) was vacuum-formed out of styrene, and the canopies and pins were rapid prototyped. It is fully functional, with the shells fitting inside each other and snapping open and closed.