The Bird Sanctuary

With dreams of building his own house, our client purchased an agricultural piece of land in the fenland countryside. The land was secured for agricultural purposes only but, after developing a concept alongside the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds, planners have now approved a concept that enhances the local wildlife.

Five years of planning, design development and now building control submissions – construction will soon begin on the bird sanctuary that has been named ‘La Escondida’.

Based on a single floor the concept is designed around the antique Mexican furniture imported from the clients homeland. The building forms are in 3 simple blocks – work, live, and sleep. Constructed from locally sourced rammed earth, the structure is weighted to sit itself in to the flat surrounding fenland area. Birds and shrubbery are encouraged to inhabit the house, giving it an immediate sense of belonging and welcoming.