Square peg, round hole – meet the Bird Brick, a unique idea to help bring back dwindling bird populations via half-hidden homes for our flying friends.

Aaron Dunkerton points out that better insulation has resulted in less space for house sparrows and other species. Spacious compartments behind a small entry port allow sociable birds like these to find comfort as cracks in the urban fabric are otherwise filled in.

Each set consists of five handmade bricks and a removable plug for periodic cleaning (once every few years). Visually, the circular centerpiece stands out from its surroundings due to its shape, but blends into the brick wall via its materiality.

“The material properties of brick – low thermal and moisture movement and high durability – make the cavity ideal for nesting without affecting the building structurally, as well as being visually unobtrusive.”

As a prototype, the design is compelling – in practice, the need to regularly re-point the wall is problematic, and will hopefully be resolved in future iterations of this otherwise-creative idea.