Air Bee n' Bee

Air Bee n' Bee - Hotel for wild Bees

When you think about it, it is incredibly rare that humans make anything that specifically helps another species on Earth, but giving it a try is a very motivating thought. In connection with an exhibition in an ornamental garden at the Tivoli Gardens in Copenhagen, I was going to exhibit in a flower bed, so I decided to create a piece for wild bees. 

Air Bee n’ Bee is made of recycled teak, mahogany, walnut and oak and has a selection of openings for different species of wild bees. The geometric pattern appeals to the bees’ own hexagonal universe, and the assembly of the wooden blocks makes it easier to clean the ‘rooms’ after use. The hotel can be repositioned on its round column to follow the orientation of the sun, and it can be placed close to the flowers favoured by the visiting bees. 

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EXHIBITIED:

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INSPIRATION:  YOSEGI-ZAIKU - HAKONE · JAPAN

The use of woods in different colours to create a geometric illusion has been practised for centuries in architecture, art and cabinetmaking all over the world. Islamic architecture is known for its sophisticated use of geometric patterns, and in 18th-century Europe, they were used in spectacular veneer furniture and parquet flooring. 

While in Japan, I visited the town of Hakone, where the yosegi zaiku technique, a unique use of geometric patterns, was developed during the Edo period (17th and 18th centuries). After gluing wood into blocks, makers plane the blocks into thin shavings that are glued onto small boxes, which are sold to tourists and travellers who visit the area for its hot springs. 

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PROCES:

Wild bees prefer to make their cells in holes that are 18 cm deep. The diameter varies with the species. The Air Bee n’ Bee has holes in three sizes. The holes are milled as halves into each block to make it easy to take the bee hotel apart for cleaning when needed. The placement of the differently coloured blocks produces the pattern’s 3D effect. 

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