The Affinity Birdhouse for Sparrows by Ryan Bruxvoort

Affinity is a wooden birdhouse by Ryan Bruxvoort which was designed specifically with sparrows in mind. The shelter is composed entirely of maple wood — with the exception of the metal fixings that hold the side panels in place, and the wire that suspends the birdhouse from a tree.

The Affinity sparrow house is suspended from the trees by four lengths of metal wire which allows it to hang freely. This makes it harder for predators to get to the birdhouse than is the case with a conventional birdhouses that are often simply nailed to an easily ascendible tree or wall. The sweeping curves of the bird house make it remarkably aerodynamic, yet strong, and able to stand up to gusts of wind. However I’m not sure how dry the inhabiting sparrows will remain with a virtually horizontal entrance hole.

Ultimately I wish for this to culminate into a form that shows empathy for the sparrow, in a serene, carefully crafted manner. The house should have a delicate, almost fragile look, however, be constructed in a manner that affords the house tremendous structural integrity. The fragile yet resilient quality of the house is to be reflective of the sparrow itself.Ryan Bruxvoort

A considerable portion of the surface of the Affinity birdhouse is flat — or at least gently sloping — in stark contrast to traditional birdhouses that often have rather twee pitched roofs. Presumably this flat surface, coupled with the horizontal ridges of the maple wood construction, is intended to encourage the build up of snow which has surprisingly insulative properties in subzero temperatures.