Critical and Creative Concerns - Living Walls

Urban Innovation District - Design Folio

Anthony Despotellis - s3605079
Contents
1 Introduction pg 4
Design Breif pg 6

2 Research pg 8
Short questions
Aurrent area analysis
Previous works
Users
Ethics

3 A new direction pg 24
Birds
Interview
Ecosystems, Soil, Plants
Bird boxes
Crimson rosella

4 Idea development pg 44
Initial sketches
Mapping sites
Refinment
Materials

5 References pg 66
Biography
Anthony Despotellis

I am 20 years old and studying a

bachelor of Industrial design at RMIT
University

As a person, I try my best to be nice

and genuine, but also work hard to
do what most people cannot. As a
designer, I find that my work moves
in creative direction but ones that are
concius of purpose and impact.

My dream as a designer is to work

on projects that make a substancial
difference to the wrongs of people past
and current, which lets me influence
the future.

So, I guess this project was destined

to be one that tries to effect moral and
physical change, which i am proud to
present to you.
" As a person, I try my best to be
nice and genuine, but also work
hard to do what most cannot. "

CONTACT DETAILS
Anthony
0420203621
s3605079@student.rmit.edu.au
Brief
Introduction
The urban innovation district
encompasses the inner-city suburbs
of Carlton and the CBD North,
which contains large amounts of old
housing, new office buildings, parks,
restaurants, and university buildings.
This project assists in pathing
the change from a segregated
built environment and a natural
environment to a co-existing
space where nature and the built
environment can work together. The
project will focus on enhancing and
understanding peoples perception of
what an urban environment can be.
For users to walk in the district and
not identify park and non-park areas
because nature is co-existing and the
lines are blurred.
Aims
To re-introduce nature, whatever form that
might take, into the area to engage the
users of the space on a daily basis. It should
feel natural and not forced, like it was
always there, or it belongs there.
Objectives
A solution for improvement will be achieved
by researching and understanding the
balance between nature and the built
environment. Prototypes will be worked to
deliver an optimized solution that engages
the district and is popular with the users.
Purpose
To bring green back into the district, but
not in a square block, in interesting ways,
ones that engage the users to enjoy a new
way of experiencing nature in the city.
Design criteria
The solution needs to propose native
species before introduced species, for a
stable ecosystem.
The height limit on the feature should
concord with council regulations, but not be
limited otherwise.
The design should flow or add in with
existing greenery, not oppose it or compete
with it for attention.
Materials involved must have an
environmentally friendly life cycle. The
area will need maintenance, but should be
designed to minimize the required work.
Problem statement
With time spent observing the parks
and streets surrounding the parks, it
becomes clear that definite boundaries
are imposed. Upon leaving the parks,
the streets return to the deficiency of
true green life. People are attracted to
nature, parks, they seek them out for
a refuge from cars, construction, and
traditional city life.
The ability to hear wildlife or see it
is also greatly lacking. A park should
have constant and varied bird chatter,
but unfortunetly, only pigeons, mynas
and magpies are heard.
Design Process
By conduction early research,
targeting how people interact with
nature currently and how nature can
exist in urban environments, a strong
foundation should be built. Research
and user research, may involve
such means as, interviews, visual
documentation, meetings with experts
or important persons. From here, The
creation faze will lead to the making of
prototypes and small scale mock ups
to be critiqued and applied for the final
implementation.
Deliverables
W 3 - Concept development and initial
brief
W 6 - Concept development and return
brief
W 14 - Final design, and
implementation
The product could take a few forms,
but an appropriate model should be
supplied for viewers to understand the
idea and see the potential.v
Analysis: It is possible that blending
these two opposing environments
and having them complement each
other will be difficult, in the same
way some people like and dont like
certain buildings. Expanding into a
space where previously people have
not expected nature to exist may be
surprising to many, and could hold
some interesting opportunities for
people to explore and enjoy their
environment.
Questions
Is there room for nature in the city?

But how does biophilia help people

Why are humans attracted to nature?

A man named Edward O. Wilson

first theorised the concept of
Biophila. It theorizes that
humans have a tendency to
seek connections with nature
and other forms of life. As
we originally lived in the
wilderness, our minds still
seek out opportunities to
return to being surrounded
by our natural environment.
Support for biophilic design
has been increasing and there
it is becoming more and more
common to find buildings that
integrate natural features.
 Nature typically is a very large expanse
of random flora and fauna. Along the
centuries man has integrated shelter and
Psycho-evolutionary theory
housing into the vast expanse. But now
suggests that the positive reactions
we see a defining shift, were it used to be
are programmed evolutionarily
a village in a jungle, now it is a park in the
in us. Due to the history of living in
cityscape. The tables have flipped greatly,
wilderness environments, our need
and now many people seek out natural
to be amongst nature is a deep
areas such as parks to escape from the
survival instinct.
new way of life. The current amount of
green spaces is sufficient for people to
Attention Restoration Theory
find in a short walk almost anywhere in
states that being in nature restores
the cbd and inner suburbs but, much like
your directed attention. Directed
the small village was, it is not enough.
attention is your primary focus,
and is required for cognitive tasks,
the simple question, is there room? The
with many people becoming tired
short answer is no, but there could be.
mentally after a busy day. Being
However it is unlikely that councils and
amongst nature does not require
the government will demolish building
directed attention, and so allows
for green space. Thus, like most of
your brain to rest and recharge.
nature, it must be adapted, the new
Bacterium?
green spaces would need to take the
role of a vine plant in nature, finding the
easiest path to grip and keep growing.
(MATTHEWS, D. M. & JENKS, S. M.
Starting small could be the key, staring
2013)
with projects like the san Francisco
parklet could begin to re-introduce
greener areas that link the more defined
ones (such as parks and gardens).
How Green is
Melbourne?
The answer?
It is, but just not enough.
The Carlton and north Melbourne
district has concentrated areas of
green, in the form of parks. The aerial
photo shows that the three small
parks bring refuge from the massive
expanse of buildings. But they are
not enough, and Melbourne knows
it. Victoria ranks as the lowest city in
Australia in terms of greenery in the
built environment. Melbourne has a
13% tree canopy cover, the lowest of
all the states.
The parks themselves are green,
but they are only that, and lack any
sort of interesting natural features.
Despite this, they receive regular and
constant use from people in the areas.
This means that people like the green
space, and demonstrates that it is an
important field and should not lose
the attention of planners.
20 20 20 Vision
Melbourne

The aim is for business, government,

education and communities to work
together to create 20% more green space "Simply put, green space is good for
in our urban areas by 2020.
business, good for people and good
The 202020 Vision was started in 2013
by Horticulture Innovation Australia Ltd, for the environment"
funded by the Nursery
and Garden Industry Australia.
It has since grown into Australias
biggest network of green space experts,
creators and supporters.

The network has grown to include more

than 200 organisational partners, 1,000
individual supporters and 29
strategic experts all working towards one
common goal.
Barriers
The project is county-wide and has come
from a high authority which establishes
it as a serious objective for australia.

Five barriers were generated by the

people involved, and through exploring
these barriers they hope people will
learn and submit realistic projects for
development.
Printed nest - 3d printed bird homes
A recent community has arisen
through a mutual intrest and desire.
To bring birds back to the city. They
turned to 3d printing to create their
product as it is beoming super easy to
use and is avaliable all over the world.
Now printed nest are a group of
architects and designers around
the world that work to constently
improve the poruct and its variations.
There are nests in melbourne and
sydney already. The website is
quite lax in its information on the
design and why it is that shape, and
mainly focuses on the economic and
manafacturing side of the project.

S W
This project shows how modern
technology can enable people
to connect and share their
works and ideas. These nests
are aimed at birds that nest
in tree hollows. The nests are
interesting in visual appearance
and the materials used are
environmentally friendly
The website boasts about the
product but not its impact.
There is no information on if
the nests have regular residents
or why the design is good for
birds.
O T
The manufacturing process It is possible that birds are not
is fine, but they need to be living healthily in these nests. It
thinking about the birds safety could also be unlikely that the
and health more. designs will not change
Inner city bird homes
These nests are designed to
live in urban environments,
attaching to exsisting urban
furniture and infrustructure.
The box however has life
before installation. It asks kids
to use pencil for a week to
generate sharpenings, which
remain in the nest.
After the week, the pencil and
sharpener are removed, and
the owner looks for a place to
put it.
The house itself is made of
corrigated soft plastic, and
comes in different colours.

S W
This project does really well to The simplicity of the home lacks
enguage the local community a strong bird focus. The home is
and raise awareness for birds. only one size which limits certain
The nest is simple to set up species. the materials are also not
and can be diployed rapidly, to greatly suited to life in england.
exsisting street furniture. the hole inside the house is large
and temperature ranges would
fluctuate.
O T
This project could be improved It is possible that birds are not
by developing different types living healthily in these nests.
of boxes, that have varied Birds may not use them.
materials and shapes.
people also do not know how
to position boxes for best
conditions, so instructions could
be added.
Users of the space
Commuters: People relating to this group are ones
who travel to a workplace, university or just pass
through the space on a regular basis. On weekdays,
large amounts of people walk north for their tasks,
but on weekends a different pattern is observed.
It has been noted by interviewing locals, that the
parks are a short refuge from the city, after work or
university during lunch, groups of people relax in the
parks.
Students: in the north of the district, there is
Melbourne university, which provides a regular
transit route through the space. These students
are mostly travelling on weekdays and rarely on
weekends. Students mainly use the park space
during lunch or in-between classes. One attempted
interviewee was holding a meeting in university
square, which suggests that the park can also be a
place to conduct work for students.
On the other hand, after interviewing some students
who lived far from the city, information was received
that students who have longer than a 40-50 min
commute are less likely to spend time in the area
after or before classes.
Parents: parents also frequently use the parks,
whether for relaxation, letting the kids play or
meeting up with other parents. For parents, it is
important to have a place to stop and recuperate
from the business of raising a child.
Locals: locals have easy and direct access to the
parks. If they are not using the parks currently, then
one aim could be to encourage them to use the green
spaces.
Mind Map +
Immersion
When tasked with crating maps
in an area, it is very easy to
struggle with finding a concept
to map. A mind map helped me
to not only have ideas on topics
and themes but also what the
map will do. For instance, if I
followed the pathway food /
drink and then bars, I would
be walking around looking for
bars. But should I combine that
path with roads, now I am
mapping the roads to the bars.
This is how the mind map can
help to create interesting maps
that do not look like normal fold
out ones.
Can nature live amongst cities and its people
in harmony, and should it?
What does this mean? It means that
nature is good with change, and our
world has changed significantly over
the last two thousand years. Giant
cities of concrete and steel have
risen into the air, in tight clusters
with almost exclusively paved ground
space. What this leaves, is no room
for nature to function as it should in
modern cities.
It seems that man acknowledges the
requirement of greenery in our lives
through parks. The implementation of
a patch of greenery, became common
refuges from the noise and lack of
colour in all cities. Outside of parks
and manmade efforts to re-introduce
nature, large avian life can be spotted
and small rodents are prominent at
night, but their life styles have shifted
slightly. Behaviors have shifted, where
birds once gathered in large groups
building nests in trees and tree
canopies, now they can be observed
picking up rubbish to use in their
nesting, which often are built on top
of buildings.
Their diet has also subsequently
changed as our rubbish disposal
system leaves opportunities for
them to obtain food scraps.
(Corporation, 2015a) birds that
consume fried chips, bread, fried
chicken and other man made foods
are at more risk of death than
birds living of natural foods. To
further this, birds have also shown
to have their biological clocks
changed due to living in urban
environments, with some birds
staying awake some 40 minutes
longer than one living in a forest.
(staff, 2013)
An interesting study into the
changes of animals living in cities
has shown many species are
getting smarter, larger, braver and
healthier. (Soniak, 2015) (Dell'Amore,
2016)
It's also not all bright stars ahead.
The urbanization has led to the
increase in numbers of pest birds.
The common Indian Myna is one
such example, which was first
introduced into Australia to deal
with pest insects. with numbers
rising over the last decade of
rapid urbanization, the bird now
is considered a pest itself, it is
smart and shows signs of learning
which makes it increasingly to
control. (Corporation, 2004) The
birds like nesting in the roofs of
houses and rooftops with good
nesting prospects.
On the human side of things,
there is a mix of positives and
negatives also.
Humans have converted
architecture into weapons, with
windowsills and roofs having anti-
avian defenses, trees with anti-
possum defenses. This shows
that whilst nature is residing in
the city, people try to control
their behaviors. So, from here I
ask, can we really co-exist with
nature? And in what way? A co-
existence where the wildlife may
as well live in a zoo is not co-
existence.
Chris Philo describes the city as
a place of civilized living, away
from the primitive rural world
(Cloke, 2014). Livestock used
to have their place in cities,
Kensington used to have land for
keeping cattle and equestrienne
animals (Unknown, 1886), but then
were removed a few years later.
vContinuing this shift, today there
is almost zero encouragement for
animals to live in the city and
it shows in the lack of habitats.
Most parks are not designed to be
animal friendly, but people friendly,
and from my observations of the
parks in the north Carlton area
and viewing imagery of other major
cities, the situation is evident.
A French urban conservation
program tried getting people
involved, and to give them an
experience that hopefully would raise
awareness of urban wildlife. Well, it
seems that the participants were
positive during the program, and
actively sought to participate, but
in the long term it struggled. The
report says that the participants did
not seem to extend this interest
to participating in other related
activities (Shwartz, 2012). It is one
example, but it brings to light the
real issue with people and animals
in the city, people just don't care
enough to care.
Direction moving
forward
Moving forward I am refining my broad
initial approach to bring back nature
and considering the elements of it.
After my research into the co-existence
of animals and humans I have decided
to continue with this path. I believe it
will become a larger problem as the
population increases and such a delict
balance could go either way.

Focusing in on the district

after conducting field research and
actively listening for the sounds of
nature, it can be concluded that the
majority (of what was a disappointing
response) of bird calls were heard in
the park areas, and heavily built up
areas recorded very little.

I am thinking more and more of

creating some object which has a little
ecosystem inside and accessibility to
birds and pollinators.
BIRDS
The role of birds in the world ecosystem

Bees, wasps, butterflies, and interestingly birds, act as pollinators around the world, aiding
Bees, wasps,
indirectly butterflies,
to help and interestingly birds, act as pollinators around the world, aiding
flora germinate.
indirectly
to help flora germinate.

It seems that birds are pivotal in a healthy ecosystem as they play many roles, including
It seems that
predators, birds are
pollinators, pivotal in
scavengers, a healthy
seed ecosystem
dispersers, as they play
and ecosystem many roles,
engineers. including
(Sekercioglu
predators,
2006) pollinators, scavengers, seed dispersers, and ecosystem engineers. (Sekercioglu
2006)
Ecosystem services are "natural processes that benefit humans. Honeybees pollinating
Ecosystem services
orchards provide are "natural
a service processes
that benefits that benefit
humans throughhumans. Honeybees
the production of pollinating
apples. In
orchards
contrast, provide a service
native bees that benefits
pollinating milkweedshumans
providethrough the for
a service production of apples.
the milkweed, they In
contrast, native bees pollinating milkweeds provide a service for the milkweed,
facilitate its reproduction. Both are services, but only the former can reasonably theybe argued
facilitate
to have aits reproduction.
direct Both
or extrinsic are services,
benefit but only
for humans" the former
(Wallace 2007) can reasonably be argued
to have a direct or extrinsic benefit for humans" (Wallace 2007)

Below are 3 principal types of ecosystem services that birds contribute to:
1| Provisioning services, such as production of fiber, clean water, and food
1
2| Provisioning services, obtained
Regulating services, such as through
production of fiber, processes
ecosystem clean water,
thatand food climate, water,
regulate
2 Regulating services,
and human disease obtained through ecosystem processes that regulate climate, water,
and human services,
3| Cultural disease such as spiritual enrichment, cognitive development, reflection,
3 Cultural services,
recreation, such as spiritual enrichment, cognitive development, reflection,
and aesthetics
recreation, and aesthetics
 Provisioning services are provided by both domesticated and non-domesticated species.

- Non-domesticated birds have been important parts of human diets historically (Moss & Bowers 2007),
and many are still today (Peres 2001).
- Bird feathers provide bedding, insulation.
- Scavengers contribute regulating services, as their consumption of bird carcass helps regulate disease deadly to humans.
- Through art, photography, religious custom, and bird watching, birds contribute cultural services. Bird watching, is one of
the most popular outdoor recreational activities around the world. (Sekercioglu 2002)

Pest control Bird pollination:

Bird species are considered pest control agents because
they do not only consume the pest species, they
constantly have an impact on and regulate the numbers
of them. Birds diets mainly consist of fruit, nuts, nectar,
insects, worms, fish, reptiles, birds, mammals and rodents
(Mayntz, 2017) (Moorman et al., 2007). This wide variety
of food is what allows them to live so widely around the
world, but also has a beneficial relationship for humans.
Birds consume a lot of insects and rodents as their
availability in the wild are in great numbers, and they
help to keep the said species from over populating. The
effect of birds on plant performance is an example of how
birds act naturally as pest control agents. Leaf damage to
bilberry shrubs increased significantly in their absence,
where Atlegrim concluded that birds have the potential
to heavily modify the interaction between bilberry and
insect larvae. (Atlegrim, 1989)
Many plants depend on pollination by animals for
successful seed germination. The seeds are swallowed
whole and after passing through the digestive tract,
come out without the skin and flesh in a good position
to germinate. Over 920 species of birds pollinate
plants by eating their seeds, collecting nectar and
other lesser known ways.
However, birds themselves are not the sole pollinators
of the world. Studies show that even in plants
apparently specialized for pollination by birds, insects
also provide some pollination. So in the absence of
birds, plants may not suffer total reproductive failure
if insects are present. A hummingbird-pollinated plant
native to North America, is sometimes pollinated by
bees in Poland where nectivorous birds are absent
(Koodziejska, 2006)
Interview
Dr Kerryn Herman
Birdlife Australia

Do birds like having food sources very close by?

" Birds require a range of resources to survive shelter, food

and reproductive opportunities. Food availability will drive
reproductive output, however without ample nesting hollows
food resources are moot as there is no place to nest. Birds are
highly mobile and some species will travel long distances to
forage away from roost and nesting sites. Others have small
areas in which they live and feed to food requirements near
to nesting sites are important. "

Do you think designing a 'object' that targets the

declining population of smaller brown birds is more
beneficial than working with nest boxes for parrots?

" That will depend on species of parrots and aim of the

project. From a conservation perspective I think habitat
improvement is more important (the species declining in
urban spaces are not generally hollow nesters) than providing
generic hollows Rainbow Lorikeets are doing pretty well
without our help, but this will come down to what you want
out of the project. Water source and shelter are two of the
key points we try to communicate with people to improve
their gardens to create bird habitat. This will benefit a
wider range of bird species than just nest hollows. There
may be some aesthetic arguments around creating
raised habitat that will improve urban amenity as well as " I like the idea of raised vegetation
provide increased urban habitat for additional organisms
(insects are really important too!!)
platforms that provide habitat and
water though again maintenance
from your experience, what could be some
potential problems with increasing bird will need to be considered as well as
populations in areas of high density buildings? water flow "
" There are potential biological issues with homogenised
population..... there are a range of concerns like
increasing bird strike on windows, fences etc, car strike.
There will be potential conflict with residents look at
the dislike of pigeons roosting on buildings already... bird populations the world over are suffering from Biotic
spikes and preventatives in place to limit them. There homogenization.
are issues with bird droppings on cars and hygiene and
potential disease spread. This is something to consider Cities homogenize the physical environment because they are
if providing artificial food. A number of years ago the built to meet the relatively narrow needs of just one species,
Rainbow Lorikeet population in Sydney were hit with humans. In the scope of birds, we are seeing few species suited
disease. This came about because of poor hygiene on to city life growing, and a decline in bird variety.
bird feeders. Birds defecate where they eat (my budgies
are very good at this the buggers) so if artificial food is Species adapted to an intensely built environment, work as
to be provided then a means of maintaining the feeder global homogenizers. Found in cities worldwide, slowly the
will need to be considered refilling or cleaning. I like numbers of species will begin to decline, as the numbers of a
the idea of raised vegetation platforms that provide few grow so large as to dominate food scources, nesting sites
habitat and water though again maintenance will need and water supplies.
to be considered as well as water flow. I'm not sure
people will be happy with getting muddy drips on them Taxonomic homogenization, or the increased similarity of
during periods of high rainfall... " species over space and time, has occurred across numerous
taxa, including plants, insects, fish, birds, and mammals.
Eco-systems
-An ecosystem consists of a
community of organisms with
their physical environment.
-Ecosystems can be of
different sizes and can be
marine, aquatic, or terrestrial.
Broad categories of terrestrial
ecosystems are called biomes.
-In ecosystems, both matter
and energy are conserved.
Energy flows through the
system and matter is recycled.
-Ecosystems with higher
biodiversity tend to be more
stable with greater resistance
and resilience in the face
of disturbances, disruptive
events.
Matter and energy flow
Plants takes in Co2 from the
atmosphere, and nitrogen and
phosphorous from the soil to
build their cells. When an animal
eats the plant, it uses the plants
molecules for energy and as
for its own cells. When plants
and animals carry out cellular
respiration carbon dioxide is
released into the atmosphere.
Similarly, when they excrete
waste or die, their chemical
compounds are used for energy
and building material by bacteria
and fungi. These decomposers
give out simple molecules back
into the soil and atmosphere.
Healthy soil
The 3 Levels of soil
The living portion of soil is made up of plant
roots, and of many types of microbes and
other living organisms that improve soil
structure by breaking down organic material.
The recently dead components include
deceased soil organisms, green plant material
and manures. They decompose naturally,
and release nutrients quickly.
The very dead portion is humus, the result
of organic matter breakdown that is very
important for soil structure and disease
suppression.
For fertile soil, all three forms of organic
matter should be present at all times.
A healthy Food Web occurs when the
organisms a plant needs (for breaking down
and converting chemicals) are present in the
soil. Nutrients in the soil need to be in certain
forms so that the plants can use them. This
is achieved by having good ratios of fungi to
bacterium, which balance each other out in
what they output into the soil. One way to
increase the chances of healthy soil is to have
the presence of decomposers. (Production,
2007)
Pale Flax-lily
Family: Liliaceae

Size: 30-80 50cm

Form and flowers Many pale-blue, star-

shaped flowers appear in clusters on long
stems in spring and early summer. Attractive,
shiny, dark-blue berries follow flowering.

situation Protected position; semi-shade;

moist, well drained soils.

comments Can be grown in containers.

Easily
maintained. Berries edible when ripe

Wildlife Food plant for seed-eating birds

Common Wallaby-
grass
Family: Poaceae

Size: 20-40 40cm, with flower stems to

1.2m high

Form and flowers Thin grass

Flowers appear in spring and summer, turning
fluffy and pale when mature.

situation Full sun; moist, well-drained soils

comments Very hardy, drought tolerant.

Effective in group plantings.

Wildlife Food plant for seed-eating birds

and butterfly caterpillars.
Tufted Bluebell
Family: Campanulaceae

Size: 15-50 15cm

Form and flowers forms an open tuft of

bright-green leaves on branching stems.
Paired or single pale to bright-blue owers
appear on erect stems in spring and summer
to autumn.

situation Open position; full sun; dry,

well-drained soils.

comments Drought sensitive, dislikes poor

drainage.
Tolerates full shade. Effective in group
plantings.

Wildlife Food plant for seed-eating birds

Pink Heath
Family: Ericaceae

Size: 0.5 to 1 m in height

Form and flowers White pink and/or red in

colour, they are 1-2cm and are a narrow tube
shape which open at the mouth

situation full sun or some shade, well-

drained acidic soils.

comments Tolerates drought and semi-

shade. Dislikes
poor drainage. Flowers late autumn to spring

Wildlife Nectar source for birds, bees and

butterflies
Native birds
In Victoria
Targeting native birds for this project
is a moral direction, that will also have
benefits to the ecosystem. Native birds are
ones that occur naturally without human
intervention. why this is important is
because over the thousands of years, the
ability of life to adapt created a natural
balance. This means that the system can
perform efficiently, and sustainably.
Introducing non-native spieces will throw
out the balance formed over time, and
species native to the area will be affected.
This also leads onto avain homogenisation,
the reduction of a divesity of species
which will result in a few common species
dominating.
Introduced species to Melbourne include
Blackbirds, Common Starling, Common
Myna, Spotted Turtle-Dove, Feral Pigeon
and House Sparrows. These are more likely
to be seen in many areas then are native
birds in Melbourne.
Some native species which were formerly
uncommon and are now locally widespread
in suitable habitats include Musk Lorikeet,
Rainbow Lorikeet, Galah and Wood Duck.
The numbers of Sulphur-crested Cockatoo,
Little Corella, Long-billed Corella, Pied
Currawong, Little Wattlebird and Crested
Pigeon are currently increasing. Most of
these species can be found in the Carlton
gardens.
Peregrine Falcons may nest on city
buildings and electricity pylons in addition
to natural sites, and Australian Goshawks
nest in big trees in parks and gardens.
 Nest Boxes

A simple but an important aspect should be thick enough to be

to wildlife conservation in any sturdy and provide insulation for
areas where natural nesting the eggs, chicks and the incubating
hollows are not available. birds. Making sure that all gaps
Animals select hollows according are filled to exclude draughts is
to their own individual needs. essential and holes in the bottom
Factors such as the size and for drainage as well.
shape of the entrance hole and
the interior cavity, as well as Animals will not forage too far
the degree of insulation, affect from safety, therefore nest boxes
how and when a hollow is used. need to be placed close to food
Therefore, a range of hollow sizes sources. I am looking to place
and shapes is necessary to support native plants in the installation,
a variety of wildlife. Wood is the and the species chosen will also act
most popular material, as it has as small food sources.
good insulation, grip for the birds,
cheap and easy to use, and mimics
the natural tree hollow. Metals
are affected by temperature too
much and plastics are too smooth.
Recycled wood or plantation-
grown wood should be used,
rather than using unsustainably
harvested timber. The timber
 The anti-Myna baffle
The Anti-Myna Baffle is a simple
device which shields the entrance
hole to the nest box, and prevents
Common Mynas from entering.
WHY?
Because they always fly directly
to the entrance of the nest hollow,
rather than climb in. This keeps
access to rosellas and other parrots,
which usually climb up to the
entrance of their nesting hollow,
and so are able to climb between
the baffle and the nest box. It is
important to provide some form of
ladder or climbable object for the
parrot to enter the box.
Predation
Birds have a few natural predators,
including cats, other birds and
humans (Corporation, 2015b).
The Carlton area is in the cat
belt but doesnt have a large
number of cats registered
(Deborah Gough, 2013). The
current level of cats can be
maintained by designing
the bird Holmes to be un-
reachable, however more stray
cats may be attracted to the
area. Cats diets are not solely
made up of birds, cats will eat
rodents, marsupials, reptiles
and frogs. Furthermore,
there is no current sufficient
evidence that cats are having
a impact on bird populations
(Rspb, 2017). To give the bird
users of the homes protection
from predatory birds, it
is recommended that the
entrance to the nests do not
have bright colours or other
attractive things.
Eastern Rosella

Family: Parrot
Average size: 129g
34cm

Appearance
There are several colour forms of the Crimson Rosella. The
form it is named for has mostly crimson (red) plumage
and bright blue cheeks. The feathers of the back and
wing coverts are black broadly edged with red. The flight " To attract them to your garden and nest
feathers of the wings have broad blue edges and the tail is box, try planting some native grasses and
blue above and pale blue below and on the outer feathers.
shrubs and retain any eucalypt trees you
movements have "
Throughout its range, the Crimson Rosella is commonly
associated with tall eucalypt and wetter forests

Diet
Natural foods include seeds of eucalypts, grasses and
shrubs, as well as insects and some tree blossoms.

Breeding
The Crimson Rosella's nest is a tree hollow, located high in
a tree, and lined with wood shavings and dust. The female
alone incubates the white eggs, but both sexes care for the
young
Status in Carlton gardens Common all year round
Early ideation
Initial Concept

This design aims to incorporate a

simple plant box, with the bird home.
the top of the bird box has a indent
which captures water and directs it to
the planter. the plant box has a sliding
feature that allows it to be removed for
servicing.

Whilst this box looks nice, and has a

few features, it is not bird specific.
Parrots would not nest in it due to the
shape. This box might however suit a
smaller bird, that does not exclusively
nest in hallows but is opportunistic.

The size of the planter box I also

believe to be inadequate compared to
the size of the bird box. The birds are
the main aim of the project but the
plant life is of great importance to the
overall ecosystem.
Quick prototyping

The model was a quick creation to see

how the sketch would feel physically.

I used two types of foam leftovers, and

combined them. i used a carving tool to
cut the high density piece which formed
the bird box, and just a hack saw for the
planter piece.
The sleekness of the shape is
advantagous to us as humans but does
not nessiserily benefit "nature" / the
wildlife that will reside there.
The form itself i liked quite a lot, but
i felt that it was limited interms of its
function. I wanted it to have more of
everything, more plant space and a
stronger water element.
Main Concept

This form came from a random

form sketch that aimed to make a
streamlined shaped which hugged the
wall. I wanted it to look like its coming
out from the wall rather than just
attached to it.

The unit features a plant box, long

and flat and a water storage unit
underneath. Through wicking, the
plants can draw water up the ropes
that will bridge the plastic divide.

The bird box goes in the middle which

hides it from above but has access
from underneath. this feature also acts
as a anti-myna block.
Early Model

Firstly, I made a model, in 1:2 scale. I

used medium density foam sheets and
some power tools to cut the curves.

The top unit looks quite large, but I was

able to get an idea of how it would look.
one change was made half way through
making it, which led to the top part
having a bit cut out that should have
remained.

In this model, the box sat at the very

back, which at the time seemed like a
good idea for mounting purposes, but
now it is changed. It was a problem
because the two top parts could not wrap
around the box, which weakened its
structure.
Wood
As discussed in the Bird boxes section, the nest
boxes should be made of wood. It provides the
most natural habitat possible, but also, is good
for insulation and usability for the birds. The
aim would be to either source sustainable timber
for the box and features, or source logs to be
hollowed out from tree farms.
Using timber materials for the entire unit
is probably not a good idea, because as it is
exposed to the elements, it has a good chance of
disintegrating over time. But also, wood is a fairly
heavy material, and the unit will likely be high
up on the side of a building and mounting could
become an issue
Plastic

Plastics are an incredibly versatile material, which Medium density Polyethylene, PLA or even
have many options for form and manufacturing. composites would complete the function, but the
It is possible that the outer unit of the design question then becomes, is it sustainable?
the bulk of it, would be suited to a few types of
plastic. The main reasons for this is that organic
shapes are hard to create in wood, which leaves
the methods for manufacturing to plastics.
Modeling
SWOT Analysis
S W
The concept features a full bird
box, to the exact dimensions for
a Eastern rosella.
It has both native food bearing
plants and decorative ones.
it has a water catchment which
would allow bathing and
drinking
The unit is relatively light
weight, and a good size for
moving and installing
the unit can be attached to any
surface that can support being
bolted to
With multiple replications near
parks and green spaces, these
installations could help boost
the bird numbers
There are a few uncertainties at
this stage
Birds will defecate where
they eat, and how this will be
managed is still unclear. the
stations should not be a major
attraction, it is not a bird feeder
but will provide some food
source.
Also, mounting the unit to walls
is a small concern. Currently
they could be bolted to double
bricked buildings, but a way
of mounting them to rendered
modern building still is unclear.
O T
Should this unit be deemed
suitable and it proves successful
in that, birds take up residence,
then it could be replicated in
other suburbs.
This unit has the opportunity to
help conservation agencies and
increase the bird population in
the area.
People may seek out the
locations of them to hear or see
the birds living or visiting them
The unit may not gain support
from building owners
The unit may not "look" that
good on the wall in some
peoples opinions
Bird defecation in the area may
increase
The box may increase conflict
between birds of the same or
differing specie, as competition
for food and water could
escalate.
Heavy residential areas may
dislike the increase in noise
production or bird activity
Birds can spread disease if
hygiene is not maintained
First prototype
Visual Refinment

Some feedback prompted the

visual refinment of the unit overall.
The design is a little un-balanced,
being top heavy, to I needed to add
details to balance and tie in the
two differing materials.

One sugestion was to make the

top part black. This allows the
greenery of the plants to shine and
really stand out. The darkness of
it should also blend with the wall
better.
Final Idea
Glossary

Endozoochory- Seed dispersal via ingestion by vertebrate animals, is the dispersal mechanism for most tree and plant species.
Germinate- (of a seed or spore) begin to grow and put out shoots after a period of dormancy.
Pollination- The transfer of pollen to a stigma, ovule, flower, or plant to allow fertilization.
Taxa- is a group of one or more populations of an organism or organisms seen by taxonomists to form a unit.
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Imegry

702 ABC Sydney: John Donegan http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-09-04/img_8556.jpg/6749412 pg 21

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-KtQydCUH9AQ/UmDT2nB_YBI/AAAAAAAACmw/Nl_O-MsJZGg/s640/DSC_1095.jpg (common indian
myna) pg 21
http://www.gardeningwithangus.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/dianella-tasmanica_flax-lily_emerald-arch-1.jpg Pale flax
lily pg 34
https://natureshare.org.au/observations?species=Calocephalus+citreus Lemon Beauty Heads pg 35
http://pics.davesgarden.com/pics/2006/09/17/kennedyh/f8ba51.jpg Tufted Bluebell pg 36
http://www.bushpea.com/bd/ph/nik/mi/rainbow%20lorikeet%2002.jpg rainbow lorikeet pg 39
http://lh6.ggpht.com/5bttfrZ2vNPQ70TRaBNea-D-tClORBd5tJ-KysACBPs6KdJHv_aD_V0EKTtXg7aJ_sqdgJOmba-dFJxjKf4eVg=s580
pink heath pg 37
http://www.arc2020.eu/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/8053614949_982fecf12d_k.jpg soil pg 33
http://www.sciculture.ac.uk/files/2014/07/Soil-Cultures_-Soil-background_Copyright-Showcake_Shutterstock.jpg pg 33
https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/originals/d0/80/16/d08016ed8b29c74657d01b2cf6939af1.jpg bird box diamond pg 40
https://www.lovethegarden.com/sites/default/files/files/natural-log-tit-nest-box.jpg bird box log pg 40
http://www.treesinnewcastle.org.au/SiteFiles/treesinnewcastleorgau/successful_Grass_parrot_box_500.jpg ANTI myna baffle dark
http://www.xesce.net/possum_box_2_x.jpg anti myna baffle light
https://www.utopiabirdauctions.com/uploaded/2014-1-14/rad28E2145.13b5F45F1.jpg galah pg 25
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/01/Platycercus_elegans_Wilsons_Prom.jpg Crimson Rosella image pg 43