Avian Sanctuary
March-April 2025
Duration: 4 weeks
Project Description:
Design and construct a birdhouse that exceeds the typical needs of a chosen bird species. I chose the White-breasted nuthatch, a common North American bird known for its climbing ability and tendency to find shelter in preexisting tree cavities.
Components: 21
Wood species: Red grandis, maple, sapele
Materials: 7
Bird amenities: 5
RESEARCH
Nuthatch model made with 31 laser-cut particle board layers.
IDEATION
Chosen design (above) includes tree bark exterior, rainwater intake system, and stagnant water pools.
MODELS
Left: Low-fidelity cardboard model to determine overall shape and size, as well as early components (nesting area & perches).
Right: Mid-fidelity model made from plywood. This model contains many features that remain consistent into the final model, including placement of entrances, nesting area size, inner perch/ platform size, wire mesh cover, and wood cover shape and size.
3D Models
Aside from the box joints to create pieces with larger surface areas, I predominantly used dado joints and rabbet joints to assemble the frame.
Polycarbonate plate added; it will be the bottom of the pool created by the rainwater system. Resting in rabbet joint and screwed in.
Polycarbonate sides added to the pool, wire mesh cover attached to front, 3D-printed slides added to the inside; they will move the water into the pool.
FINALS
Details
FINAL MODEL CONSTRUCTION
Step one was to create the pieces that made up the frame. The wood I had was not wide enough for the back plate, so I experimented with unique joinery and settled on box joints to add some flair to the design. I used the table saw and drill press most prominently.
Outdoor waterproof coating added to the entire wood frame.
Front plate added to cover nesting area.
Final additions: 3D-printed bowls to catch and hold water (coated with epoxy) and rain catchers at each entrance. Additionally, the same waterproof finish was added to the front sapele cover.
Design explanation: The bowls at the top of the sanctuary are meant to catch rainwater and hold it there, creating stagnant pools that attract insects (a core food source for nuthatches). The rainwater system works like this: rain is caught by the long, C-shaped fences that funnel the water into the frame, down the slides, and into the pool at the bottom. This avian sanctuary is meant to be hands-off, so the water can overflow out of the pool with heavy rainfall rather than being cleaned by humans.
Screws were added earlier to hold everything in place and add extra security.
