See
the links below for more information, a video, purchasing, the manual &
more.
Why? Why build a contemporary stainless birdhouse? Scroll down or click here for an explanation of the advantages and features of the Museum Birdhouse.
Models. Pictures of the two stainless steel models currently available and a few ideas for how they might look in various locations and situations. In 2004 the Museum Birdhouse won an award for craftsmanship in a nation wide birdhouse and feeder contest.
Purchase Information. Both birdhouse models are available from Design Within Reach. You can special order a Museum Birdhouse with a different size entrance hole by emailing tomdukich@tomdukich.com or calling 509-979-0031. If you are interested in an optional floor or deck stand or a birdhouse built out of titanium, also email or call.
Video & Photos. Click here for Photos & Video of real live birds using Museum Birdhouses.
Manual. The Museum Birdhouse Manual covers the unique features of the Museum Birdhouse, mounting recommendations, top and bottom photos, cleaning, etc.
Temperature Monitoring. A description and the results of comparative and simultaneous temperature monitoring of a stainless Museum Birdhouse and a Stokes wooden birdhouse under conditions more extreme than you would normally expect to encounter.
Damage Resistance. Photo of squirrel damage to a nature catalog's wooden birdhouse that won't happen with the Museum Birdhouse.
Design
Inspiration. Photos of the Frank Gehry designed
Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao, Spain,
the Experience Music Project in Seattle,
and the Weisman Art Museum in Minneapolis.
Also see the Tycho Brahe Planetarium in Copenhagen.
Why
make a contemporary stainless steel birdhouse?
I’m a fan of modern architecture as well as a bird watcher. The Museum
Birdhouse arose from a combination of these interests and a desire to create
a truly functional birdhouse that had a contemporary aesthetic. I wanted to
make use of modern materials and fabrication techniques. The design of the
birdhouse was inspired by the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao, Spain, the Experience
Music Project in Seattle, the Weisman Art Museum in Minneapolis, and the architecture
of Frank Gehry. Hence the name: The Museum Birdhouse.
The first Museum Birdhouse sold at an art auction and had
portraits of famous human birds
on the inside walls: Larry Bird, Admiral Byrd, The Birdman of Alcatraz, Lady
Bird Johnson, and Charlie “The Bird” Parker. These portraits are
not included in the models being offered for sale because they aren’t
resilient enough to stand up to actual outside use. I also though that pictures
of humans on the walls might discourage bird from using the houses!
Design and Construction Details. The
Museum Birdhouse is made of high quality stainless steel, including the fasteners.
All the parts are cut out with high pressure water jet technology to prevent
heat buildup during cutting that will discolor and warp the metal. Assembly,
fitting, and finishing is done by hand. This fabrication sequence allows the
roof seams to be so precise that they are water proof in rainy weather.
The top of the Museum Birdhouse swings
open for cleaning and a special tool attached under the house holds the
top open. Over 20 vent slots on the rear wall of the interior provide ventilation
in addition to vents on the edge of the back wall. There are drainage holes
in the bottom and there is even a ladder inside to provide young birds a good
grip when they leave the house for the first time
The interior temperature of the birdhouse was extensively
monitored with computerized temperature recorders. The design features
and finish were then adjusted so that even at the very hottest time of a 95
degree day, and under direct sun, the Museum Birdhouse was only a degree or
two warmer than a traditional wooden birdhouse.
The Museum Birdhouse blends in with the surroundings
surprisingly well--natural or urban. Partly this is a result of its simple
design. But it is also because the soft finish allows for subtle reflections
of nearby vegetation, buildings and the sky. The dimensions of the house were
chosen to attract wrens, nuthatches, chickadees, and other small birds
Other features include.
1) Unique structural design, 2) Hand burnished with a custom non-directional
satin finish, 3) No lacquer finish coat allows for development of a subtle
patina, 4) Since there’s no coating, there’s no chipping, flaking
and yellowing, 5) Can be hosed out or even power washed with no ill effects,
6) Made with 304 & 18-8 stainless including the connectors, 7) Will last
longer than a lifetime; it’s even squirrel
proof, 8) Entirely assembled, ready to use right out of the box, 9) An
instruction manual that explains the features
and installation, 10) A matching, movable corrosion resistant pole is included,
11) The house is easy to remove from the pole for inspection and cleaning,
13) There’s a documented history
of birds successfully nesting in these houses, 14) Optional hole
size, mounting brackets, and bases are available by request, and 15) Made
in the U.S.
Final Result.
The end result of the design, attention to detail, and field testing is a
birdhouse with a contemporary aesthetic that’s truly unique, safe, durable,
and it has all the features of birdhouses from a nature catalog.
