Urban Apiaries

Increasing interest and activity in urban agriculture is exciting for human urban development and the greening, literally and metaphorically, of our cities. But more often than not animals in almost every capacity are left out of the conversation.
Image credit above: Brooklyn Grange, http://brooklyngrangefarm.com/

Increasing interest and activity in urban agriculture is exciting for human urban development and the greening, literally and metaphorically, of our cities. But more often than not animals, in almost every capacity, are left out of the conversation. When we speak about urban gardens we forget to mention the insects that pollinate them, the birds that might fertilize them (in exchange for eating the crops!) and the other animal species that otherwise participate in a healthy (or unhealthy, if mismanaged) urban-agrarian life. This is not the case with urban apiaries.

Though not specifically “agricultural” (they are insects after-all) urban apiaries are obviously closely aligned with urban farming and one can easily see the cross-benefits of instituting both together (e.g. the Brooklyn Grange project above). Check out the following links below for a range of ideas about possible bee habitats in urban environments.

We welcome more projects and suggestions for urban apiaries from our readers. Please write to info@animalarchitecture.org

 

SUB-BEES-articleLarge

New York Times Article on Urban Apiaries. Image Demetrius Freeman/The New York Times

elevatorb13

Hive City Project. University at Buffalo’s School of Architecture and Planning, the Department of Architecture’s Ecological Practices Research Group, and Rigidized Metals.

BH-Page6-Small - Copy

Beehive High Rise, Julie Schell

pruitt Igoe Bee

Pruitt Igoe Bee Sanctuary.

Beyond The Hive Proposal_EMD-2

Beyond the Hive Competition

urbanapiaries_fp01

Urban Apiaries; Trey Flemming working on the roof of Milk and Honey Markety – Evan Robinson
You May Also Like

IceLink

In response to the International Ideas Competition for the Bering Strait, Lateral Office‘s Mason White and Lola Sheppard…
Read More

Regarding Hurricane Sandy

Like many of us I watched with heightened anticipation as Hurricane Sandy strengthened, diminished and then strengthened again as she made her way towards the east coast of the United States...
Read More

DUDYE.COM

Earlier this month our Editor in Chief was interviewed for his thoughts on design and how to Jury a Competition by the folks at DUDYE.com.
Read More

Living in Expanded Times

We are living in unprecedented times. The arrival of the novel corona virus global pandemic in the early months of 2020 has essentially re-written how we live our daily lives - to say it lightly. There have been profound changes at every level of life. Firstly and most tragically is the loss of life. As of today’s writing, which is roughly 120 days into the US experience of Covid-19, over 460,000 deaths world wide.
Read More

TEDXHouston Talk Online

Ned Dodington delivers an informational and entertaining TEDx Talk on why Animal Architecture is important and relevant to our world.