Monday 6 May 2013

073 | ARCHITECTURE FOR BIRD LIFE

73
ARCHITECTURAL DESIGNER SUPPORTS FEATHERED ARCHITECTS 

BirdsConTour and Das Zeichenbüro architectural drawing office, joint bird protection

Photos and text by Stefan Rust 
2013

(In terms of the Geneva Convention the copyright of these texts belongs to Stefan Rust)

The bird protection company BirdsConTour (Bird Conservation and Tourism) warns of a population decline of the wild birds in Namibia’s cities and villages.  


Bird friendly designs by Birgit Leicher from Das Zeichenbüro


   The feathered architects

Sometimes goals of different bird protection projects can be effectively achieved, when in cooperation with companies. Therefore BirdsConTour with the project “architecture for a better bird life” collaborates with architectural firms and design offices - like in this case with the business Das Zeichenbüro.  Only with its support, a bird protection project of such magnitude can be implemented.  

People and animals both have a residential right and can live very well side-by-side

The rapid expansion of Namibian towns and villages robs many birds of their habitat.  They become scarcer because they find less food and nesting opportunities through the erection of human infrastructure.  Local nesting and food providing plants disappear to make space for building developments, and rocks with potential breeding spaces are blown up. With the demolition and renovation of older buildings with sufficient edges and niches, nesting places for birds visibly disappear.  

Especially during the chick rearing period birds keep our gardens free from pests


To keep the useful birds, which help in the eradication and control of garden-and plant parasites and pests, in the immediate vicinity of the people in cities and towns in Namibia and also partially helping them to resettle, a reversal of the negative trends had to be achieved. Together with architectural technologist Birgit Leicher, owner of the company, Das Zeichenbüro, BirdsConTour put together an action plan, which provides that in new buildings as well as renovations,  feeding stations and nesting possibilities in the form of artificial niches and nests are provided in the architectural plans,  and are offered to the customer in the "bird-friendly package" so that the feathered architects of cities and towns have sufficient food and nesting opportunities again.

                                                                                    
If no niche can be incorporated such as into this wall, then an appropriate nesting box will do                       The erection of a wild bird station in the garden

This bird protection is only possible through the support of the client. Therefore a customer is rewarded with an honor, after the completion of a bird friendly project.

Through the participation of a customer with this action plan, he not only creates his own nature reserve but also contributes easily to the protection of the species.  
Should the client have children or should the project involve children, a finished project will simultaneously serve the purpose to bring the importance of nature closer to the them. Also the sense of responsibility can be promoted among young people through the conscientious feeding of garden birds. But not only children profit from the bird friendly infrastructure, even for adults living /and or working with neighboring bird life is very pleasing.

A bird friendly background, house and yard, is not only fun, but also promotes the sense of responsibility in young people

Following the exemplary collaboration with Das Zeichenbüro, BirdsConTour plans to involve more architects in this „Architecture for a better birdlife“ action plan and to award them as bird friendly companies.  

For inquiries, BirdsConTour (www.birdscontour.blogspot.com) is available under birdscontour@iway.na or call 081 129 8415


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