PICTO, The 2D House Symbol Turned Into A Charming Abode For Birds.

Picto created by Birds For Design for brand Qui est Paul? is a birdhouse that offers a modern attractive shelter for small birds. The simplicity of its 3D shape is inspired by the common 2D symbol or pictogram of a house, hence the name Picto, as in pictogram.



Besides its reduced design, it is mountable on different ways: standing on a wooden spike or suspended. In Fall, when all the birds leave the protective birdhouse, it is easily opened from inside in order to clean it properly. The backside clap consists of translucent-grey Plexiglas window which allows you to observe the nesting birds.



Suspended or perched, the cute and colorful Picto fits all gardens and balconies and it available in tons of color options.

Material : Polyethylene HD (Leg is wood)
Dimensions : Nest box : 25 cm x 20 cm x H 28,5 cm - Leg : H 140 cm

buy it here.

For distribution in various countries, go here

Architect Craig Steely Partners With Jeepney Projects To Design A Philippine Eagle Reserve Ecolodge With Modern Ecopods.

above: the proposed Philippine Eagle Reserve Ecolodge 
Mindanao, Philippines

Architect Craig Steely has partnered with Jeepney Projects Worldwide to conceive of and design an Ecolodge in Mindanao. His vision includes these beautiful prefabricated ecopods to help create respect and awareness for the world's rarest eagle, the Philippine Eagle and its natural habitat.




Each prefabricated pod is supported on a single pier foundation with supporting guy wires. This allows each pod the flexibility to be placed on any topography as well as the ability to relocate if required. The top prism has a fabric roof with screen walls while the lower prism is translucent and made with locally reclaimed corrugated wood walls. The ecopods can sleep 6 people on the 2 floors.



Presently local farmers create income by slashing forest and eagle habitat, replacing it with grazing land for livestock and pushing the already dwindling Philippine Eagle population closer to extinction.


above: The Philippine Eagle Foundation uses nonreleasable male eagles that can’t be released for artificial insemination and public display.

Carefully managed eco-tourism will create a stronger local and international awareness for the eagle’s plight as well as the financial means to employ and subsidize the local residents. Ultimately, the goal is for the local people to see the value in stewarding the land and change their perception of the eagle from a pest to an asset.

About the architect:
Craig Steely is a San Francisco and Hawaii based architect. He opened his architecture studio in 1995 and has been a guest lecturer at UC Berkeley and at Cal Poly and at many conferences including the Monterey Design Conference. His work has been awarded recognition by the American Institute of Architects and published widely in books and periodicals, among them Dwell, Sunset,Architectural Record, California Home and Design, the Los Angeles Times, the San Francisco Chronicle, and the New York Times. In 2009 he was selected as an “Emerging Talent” by the AIA California Council. Jeepney Projects is proud to have caught his interest and support.

For more information: jeepneyprojects.org

See This Art Exhibit Before It Migrates. Borderland Birds By David Tomb.

There's only a few more days to visit this amazing art exhibit/installation at the San Francisco Electric Works gallery. The Borderland Birds / Aves Fronterizas, works on paper by David Tomb, featuring work inspired by Tomb’s birding trips to the borderlands of the United States and Mexico will close this Saturday, May 29th.

For this exhibition, Tomb, a celebrated painter of portraits of people, brings his rigorous attention to birds. Secondary to dealing with the subject matter of birds, Borderland Birds / Aves Fronterizas also highlights the impact of the US-Mexico border fence; a project environmentalists say spells disaster for the sensitive ecology of the region. Beyond simple cataloging and rendering of the splendid birds of the borderland region, Tomb's work calls to mind the plight of people who have to cross this border on a daily basis, a feat fraught with problems migrating birds do with relative ease.




Part drawing show, part installation, in the gallery Tomb recreates the sights and sounds of the borderland region by use of native vegetation and ambient sound recordings.



Viewers will be transported to two fragile and unique areas: the beautiful Sky Islands of Mexico/Southern Arizona and the Lower Rio Grande Valley that borders Mexico and Texas. While much of this habitat has been converted to corporate agriculture some remote hidden mountain canyons still harbor a rich trove of beautiful and rare creatures. Tomb’s exhibition will focus on the following species: Montezuma Quail, Aztec Thrush, Aplomado Falcon, and Coati.






Tomb combines experience in the field with research of bird specimens at the California Academy of Sciences and the Museum of Vertebrate Zoology at UC Berkeley. His final masterful renderings of the birds are life size and depict the birds in their natural habitat. As an avid birder, Tomb has been lucky enough to have his nerves rattled by the freaky chorus of Chachalacas in the thorny scrub and to have glimpsed the jewel-like Elegant Trogon during July monsoons.

Here are some photos from the exhibit:






all information and images courtesy of the gallery and the artist.

Tomb received his BFA from California State University Long Beach and has shown nationally and internationally.

Plants for the installation generously provided by The Dry Garden, Oakland.

The SF Electric Works Gallery site. For purchasing information, please contact Noah Lang via email or at 415.626.5496. Prices and availability are subject to change.


if you're not familiar with Tomb's figurative work, check out my post on that here.

the artist's own website

The Porta Hedge Allows You To Study Nature Incognito & Eco-consciously

The Porta Hedge is a mobile artificial hedge created by Justin Shull. The exterior repurposes discarded artificial Christmas trees and on the inside, it can accommodate people, offering them an opportunity to study what's around them, such as birds and plants, all while enshrouded and incognito from nature.



above: exterior, Mixed media, including artificial Christmas trees, birdsong audio, video surveillance cameras, 21′x8′x6′


above and below: interior Mobile Observation Lab


As described by the designer:
Like all hedges, the Porta Hedge is a physical barrier that provides a certain amount of privacy in the guise of greenery. Built within the ‘green’ paradigm, the Porta Hedge features several eco-conscious design features including solar power, a small physical footprint (2 tires and a swivel jack), recycled Christmas trees on the exterior, living plants and wood finishing on the interior, and the relaxing sound of birdsong audio on the interior and exterior.



BRANCHES: The exterior of the Porta Hedge is constructed from thousands of recycled artificial Christmas tree branches donated by 7,000 EVERGREENS Instead of going to the landfill, these artificial tree branches become part of a new mobile landscape.



AUDIO: The Porta Hedge also features exterior audio of prerecorded, arranged birdsong. Robins, Cardinals, Chickadees, Blue Jays and Mourning Doves are just a few of the birds that one hears crooning softly from the Porta Hedge.

WILDLIFE HABITAT: A study is currently under way on the Summer '09 Tour to determine if the combination of artificial branches and precorded birdsong audio will attract other bird and animal species to use the Porta Hedge as a home.

SOLAR:

The roof of the Porta Hedge is the perfect location for photovoltaic solar panels. Generate additional electricity either for the interior of the Porta Hedge, for your home, or for any structure nearby.

What About the Trailer?
With minimal impact upon the landscape, and mobility for the lifetime of the hedge, the Porta Hedge and its related Porta Projects are a novel approach to landscape design.


Like many other contemporary products, all Porta Projects are designed to be modular and easily relocated when necessary. With only 5 points touching the ground, Porta Projects have minimal impact upon the land they are situated on.

INTERIOR:





The Porta Hedge's interior Mobile Observation Lab features surveillance cameras/monitors, a rooftop observation hatch and peep holes with accompanying chalkboards to observe and respond to one's surroundings. For the comfort of the inside observer, amenities include a small bathroom, live plants, and an internet uplink.

Rooftop hatch and live plants:

bathroom:


Since July 2009, the Porta Hedge has been travelling the country in search of suitable sites, for field testing, and to meet the public. To learn more about it and see other projects of Justin Shull, visit his site here.

all information and images courtesy of Justin Shull

David Tomb's First Non-Portrait Show In 20 Years Opens In San Francisco

Electric Works presents "Treasures of the Sierra Madre—Birds of West Mexico" paintings by David Tomb, featuring work inspired by Tomb’s birding trips to Mexico and research from the California Academy of Sciences, University of California, Berkeley, and the Los Angeles Natural History Museum.

In the gallery Tomb, best known for his portraits of people, is presenting his first non-portrait show in over twenty years. With this exciting departure Tomb is recreating the sights and sounds of this Sierra Madre region of west Mexico.



Below: Details from Mobster (above left)


Above: Mobster, detail

Large-scale drawings (11' x 8') of birds in trees will be installed with actual trees and native vegetation supplied by Flora Grubb Gardens. Mounted bird specimens on loan from the California Academy of Science and recorded bird calls from Western Mexico will fill the gallery to add to the atmosphere of this installation. In addition there will be a sound installation by Martyn Stewart of naturesound.org engineered by johnnyrandom.



Above: David working on Mobster in his studio


Above: One of David's 2006 shows of his figurative work

Below are some of his fabulous figurative works:

Above: Tomb's Navigating Environments (5' x 10')

Above: Albany, 66" x 66"

Above left: Portrait of Ethan Wallison
Above right: The artist's portrait of yours truly.

See the artist's site here.

SF Electric Works Gallery site.
Gallery Hours are:
Monday-Friday: 10:00 am - 6:00 pm
Saturday: 10:30am - 5:30 pm