I imagine a suburbia where other animals are given living spaces amongst the spaces humans live in, where people without access to garden spaces are still able to grow their own food, where vertical spaces are not just hostile spaces devoid of life instead they host mini-ecosystems with diverse flora and fauna. These are the concepts behind Brick Habitats. It is a modular system of bricks which allows us to create a wide range of features on the side of our buildings including habitats for plants and animals, water bowls/baths, perches, shelters, feeders.
The habitats for animals encourage non-human animals back into areas they previously inhabited before urban sprawl took over, whilst bringing life and positive energies into urban areas. The cavities provide nesting spaces for cavity-nesters like house sparrows, starlings, tits and possibly swifts. The extensions alone provide perches and overhangs and shelters for nest-building. The bowls collect rainwater and can also be used to direct water from the roof water pipes or windows into the plant pots. The cavities can also be filled with reed to provide homes for insects. The habitats for plants can be propagated with a variety of edible crops and native species for wildlife. Salad vegetables and herbs can be cultivated closest to the window. Seasonal perennials like tomatoes and artichokes can be grown further away. Native species grown for wildlife can be located in less accessible spots as they are almost self-sustaining.
Simple and brilliant.
I love this idea–I wish it were a finalist. My vote goes here.
revolution is made of aggregation of small but potent idea such as this one.
That’s awesome! I love the water feature… it will need to have flashing behind it, especially for stick framing, as moisture wicks through the clay. Perhaps there is a ceramic that is waterproof? Start marketing this now. I’m posting to my facebook!
A really clever concept. In hot climates a wall of greenery would have some good insulating qualities as well.
I agree with Laura, this should be the winner! It would change our surroundings so much and make people consider that space is not just human space. Monkey magic!!
This concept has already been developed by architects Rael San Fratello (http://www.rael-sanfratello.com). It was presented earlier this year at Exit Art’s Vertical Garden’s exhibition in New York. See image 7 here: http://www.thedailygreen.com/living-green/vertical-gardens-50040609.
While this is a good idea it will work best only in dry and temperate climates, not in tropical areas or most parts of Asia which receives heavy rainfall.
The water collectors will become a breeding ground for mosquitoes, and become the source of seepages and dampness into the interior walls. In the monsoon season especially the whole structure will most likely be covered in green mould, leaving a black surface once it dries up.
This means intensive maintenance, which makes the idea not very practical for a large chunk of the world.
Clever design. One thing that comes immediately in mind is how to match them for various brick styles?
Good idea…Already seeing this incorporated on Highways in Texas on a larger scale. Aesthetically pleasing and clever,and economically feasible. Should be a finalist because unlike any of the finalist ideas, this works anywhere, in any weather.
excellent… make me wish i had taken that brick-making class in architecture school.
This is a really good , idea but I fear for animals if these are vandalised, how could these be out of reach of vandals?
Very nice. So nice it’s almost too good to be just “for the birds”. I love birds, don’t get me wrong but I’d love to see this concept on an even larger scale where the exterior of an arcology or some vast structure on the scale of Norman Foster’s “pyramid” in Astana, Kazahkstan, which begins to support habitat through which we could walk through or upon (or across) as if it were a natural if steep or verticle nature park (think astonishing waterfalls from even a dozen stories of so), or a small (spectacular) mountain…a hanging garden, designeed to capture and transport precip, or funnel wind, create shade or a cirque and tarn positioned to block the winds but open to the sunny sky. I think it would address a lot of our modern social dysfunction by addressing our instinctive and typically unfullfilled craving to be in proximity to natural features, as speculated by noted evolutionary biologist E.O.Wilson.
thanks everyone for all the encouraging comments! they are very much appreciated. Doug, your vision is very inspiring!
Gardener, thanks for bringing that to my attention. without getting into a dispute of who did what first, i first exhibited the concept and model at Central Saint Martin’s work-in-progress show in January, then the prototypes at SaloneSatellite in Milan in April. it’s a project i had been developing since december last year. to be honest, the starting point of the project was that of trying to build homes for other animals amongst human habitats.
Genevieve, they would probably be located high enough to be out of reach unless you had a ladder or climbed up the wall.
Jake, perhaps a brick matching service would help.
Great Idea. Great Project.
I’m also concerned about these being in winter climates because anything that sticks out will collect snow, become heavy, and possibly break. That has to be soem STRONG clay.
Either way this is really cool :] I’d love to see it attract birds in a friendly manner, plus encourage green walls.
I LOVE, and I mean LOVE, this idea!!!! Did I say how much I LOVE this idea!
THIS IS A GREAT IDEA, SUPER. BETTER THAN SUPER
CONGRATULAIONS FOR A BRIGHT IDEA
HERB
I love this idea. Keep me updated. When will this be available to buy and how expensive is it?
Nice concept. I’ve seen similar planters. Is there a surface that won’t collect soil and bird-dropping stains? Couldn’t you avoid potential water intrusion by putting these on the outer surface of a rainscreen wall?
Such a very simple yet original idea, ‘perhaps such detailing’ could be added to existing surfaces by way of prefab concrete (papercrete, fibercrete, etc) cast modular units.
This is great! I wondered about the side effects that constant moisture would have on the brick’s strength, but I love the idea of reaching out my apartment window and grabbing some fresh basil! The more food we can get growing in the city the better, obviously space is an issue, so vertical growing seems the best bet. A company called Valcent has a pilot project growing now at a UK zoo. It’s a way to get abundant local and fresh food growing in cities. To read more about vertical growing, check out the blog http://blog.valcent.net/?p=587
Justin, i would like to put this into production but i haven’t found a manufacturer yet. i don’t intend for this to be priced at a premium. it should be very affordable to everyone.
Dan, a rainscreen wall is an idea. i think that if a brick wall is properly built, there shouldn’t be water getting through though. it might be damp, but as long as this doesn’t spread to the inner cavity wall, it should be fine.
Patron Zero, papercrete and fibercrete could be really good alternatives, or any eco-friendly materials that don’t require firing too.
thanks for all the suggestions!
I love this!! We have a brick colonial built in the 1940s, which I love, but which is a bit boring on the outside. Our yard is organic with native plantings and plenty of food and shelter for the critters, but I see this as a way to do so much more. I hope you find a manufacturer soon!! I’ll keep my eyes open for this.
Institutional places (like universities) might also be interested…
let’s figure out how to exclude starlings and include bats. starlings are invading the burbs now, over-riding the bluebirds and other cavity nesting songbirds even in oregon. and bats are having an epidemic in the caves. need millions of starling proof bathouses immediately, and a starling trapdoor house to dispose of these, please.
Would love t put these to use here in Ohio, freezing is always a concern, but there are ways around that.. ould have to be sure to put them high enough that the cats can’t reach them or use them as stair steps to get a bird!! OOPS!
I think this is a clever idea, and providing ways to incorporate animal and plant habitats into the built environment is outstanding, but you probably need to do a little more materials research for this to really be effective. The use of brick to hold water on a wall seems like a recipe for spalling, cracking, mortar deterioration, and efflorescence. Water intrusion into the home shouldn’t be much of a problem with proper waterproofing, but you would be retaining water that would normally just hit the outer surface and move on down, with little opportunity for capillary action. Holding the water in place on the surface of the brick nearly guarantees that it will be absorbed, then evaporate or freeze.