Located in Lac Léman in Préverenges, Switzerland, is the Bird Island House — or if you prefer its original French name, La Maison de l'Île aux Oiseaux. The Bird Island House will serve as a rest stop for birds migrating from Africa to the Arctic tundra.
Each part of the cabin draws inspiration from things related to birds, like the curved ramp towards the main entrance, which looks like a bird’s tail, as well as the circular windows, which reference common birdhouse designs.
On the structure’s exterior are glue-free boards with tiny pieces of wood, which will serve as the place where the birds can rest.
Inside the cabin, meanwhile, are wooden shelves filled with wooden bird models. A box, which contains the small kitchen and toilets, can also be found inside the cabin.
Last but not least, is the element that adds the most character in the Bird Island House: the large glass window found beside the front door, which gives the public a perfect view of the cabin’s interior.
The structure is built by the Swiss firm Localarchitecture, in accordance with the request of the Lausanne ornithology club. The firm hopes that the structure will “raise awareness among the public and the region’s schoolchildren of issues around nature protection, the climate, and the impact of human activities on the loss of stopover sites for migratory waders”.
#birds #ornithology #BirdMigration #Switzerland #Cabin
(Image Credit: Matthieu Gafsou, courtesy of Localarchitecture via Dwell)