AFHA Birdhouse Social & Silent Auction
On August 24, NBA participated in the 5th Annual Birdhouse Social and silent auction presented by Architecture for Humanity Atlanta (AFHA). The Birdhouse Social challenged designers from across metro-Atlanta to design a birdhouse that would comfortably house one of four birds: the Eastern Bluebird, Eastern Screech Owl, Prothonotary Warbler, or a Bat. Each birdhouse required different size houses, openings, landing areas and distances from the ground.
The NBA Team was comprised of: Jonathan Gould, Sara Taylor, Sara Nichols, Reisha Allport, Brandon Spencer, David Xu, Ryan Cavanaugh, Bevin Brady, Lindsay Clark, Neil Waddle, Adam Parrish
The team chose to design a birdhouse for the Eastern Bluebird. The Eastern Bluebird, state bird of New York and Missouri, is small and typically found in open woodlands and suburban areas and is a year-round resident of Georgia. The birdhouse for the Eastern Bluebird required a 1.5 inch opening, 8 to12 inch house depth and a 5 x 5 inch house floor.
“We wanted to relate to how AFHA is a socially conscious organization that has deep roots in the community by making a connection to social media. Modeled after the hashtag (‘#’) and taking cues from the Bauhaus, the #Birdhaus is a combination of the past and present and a reminder to never stop ‘tweeting’”, said Jonathan Gould, Intern Architect and #Birdhaus Team Leader.
The ‘Haus’ incorporates a glass accent wall that acts as an indoor birdfeeder for the bird in residence. Bird perches and a hinged door to replenish the bird seed without disturbing the nest were also added. Inspiration for the logo comes from the famous Bauhaus with text laser cut vertically into the side wall. The birdhouses were auctioned off and all the proceeds went to support AFHA’s work in the Atlanta community. NBA’s “#Birdhaus” commanded the second highest bid at auction.
About Architecture for Humanity
AFH is a national nonprofit organization, with a local chapter in Atlanta, which promotes humanitarian design and demonstrates sustainable solutions to challenges within the built environment. AFH-Atlanta is currently focused on developing the English Avenue corridor and renovating the English Avenue Elementary school into a mixed-use anchor for the community.