Design and build an indoor bird house for a rescued small forest owl. 

Wanted it to be a good fit for both humans and bird, so the shape and materials used would appeal to both. And the idea of an owl housing another owl was too appealing to resist. It would be a stylized, personality infused papier mache character that is both a decor statement and practical. So I built it using mostly paper and wood. Tried to use natural or non toxic materials so that the owl would feel comfortable and safe. For example, the bedding consists of pieces of tree bark, the paint used is water based – the kind used for children’s toys, and paper is close as a material to the original burrowing spot: the tree. 

This project was awarded at A' Design Award international design competition - Winner in Arts, Crafts and Ready-Made Design Category, 2014 - 2015. 

More details here: a design award buhaus page  

I've also developed this project further, into a limited edition Buhaus series, with three sizes and lots of personalization options, see further below. 

Buhaus - the series

I wanted to to a series based on the award winning project, a limited edition run that would have different sizes and would be faster to build. Also it needed to be all that Buhaus is, plus a new set of characteristics: easy to make one's own, with special issue unique items illustrated by artists. 

So I came up with a method involving flexible matrixes, using a specially concocted gypsum based solution, that also incorporated a lot of recycled paper and was fast to set. The result is a material and construction method that are intensive but very nice to touch strong and yet beautiful. I used a combination of water based matte paints, colored white on the outside and brown on the inside. 

Some of the series are still available for sale on the unikoti website. Scroll below for a selection of photographs.