TileNest™
Creating a birdhouse specifically for an Elf Owl, designed under Mio Cultures® brand language.
Purpose
TileNest is a birdhouse designed specifically for the Elf Owl, the world's smallest owl, native to the Southwest United States and Mexico. These owls live in old woodpecker holes, on both cacti and trees, and enjoy dark and quiet spaces.
Design Aesthetic
Designed to fit into MIO Culture's brand language, TileNest is fully modular, with the main components being the cork and felt boards, which slot together and can be easily replaced.
When ideating for this project, I initially wanted it to be a stackable design for multiple groups, and had much more organic shapes. I changed to the current design upon learning Elf Owls don't enjoy sharing spaces, and MIO Culture mainly works with panels.
Elf Owl Specifications
Elf Owls are about five inches tall, weighing only ~1.5 ounces. Though small, these owls are loud and territorial. Since this nest is meant for suburban backyard implementation, it needs to be hung at least 15ft off the ground, so both the owls and human feel safe.
These birds prefer holes with a size of 1.5-2in in diameter, and the males need a perch for when they return with food. This entrance hole is designed not only to make this job easier, but also resembles a hexagonal amplifier, which makes their loud screeches even more scary, ensuring their safety.
The Roof
The roof is designed to provide shade and help rain drain away from the house, which suits the owls love for the dark, and keeps the inside of the house dry. Both the cork and felt serve as insulators, keeping the house warm at night, but cool during the day.
Processes
Some preliminary research and sketching gave me a good idea of what I needed to make, especially the cactus element which was important for me to add in. This added a very nice connection to the bird, however, it was very hard to pull off.
MIO Culture uses felt pressed forms as room panels, so this was the main part of the design to connect to the brand. Using a CNC, I created a renshape press mold, and used a steaming iron with clamps to get the felt to hold it's shape.
Process of Building
Making three sketch models to nail down the form, I debated between a hanging design, a thinner tube with felt shades, and a completely felt design. I ended up with the final you see below which favors the hanging design. The main form is made from the pressed felt, cork sheets, and 3d printed material, which was sanded and glued together.
