Portfolio Case Study

Urban Bird Coexistence SystemTM

Apr2026-Jun 2026 Work in Progress

An ongoing design research project exploring how urban spaces can support coexistence between humans and birds by reducing habitat conflict, nesting disruption, droppings issues, and maintenance challenges.

Project
Overview

This work-in-progress case study translates urban wildlife research into a system-level design direction for human-bird shared spaces.

Role

Design Research / Environmental Research / System Design / Urban Interaction Design

Tools

Visual Research / Habitat Mapping / Species Research / System Analysis

Focus

Human-Bird Shared Space / Urban Wildlife / Nesting Habitat / Droppings Management / Coexistence Strategy

Work in Progress Design Research Environmental Research System Design Urban Interaction

Background

As cities expand, birds lose natural habitat and adapt to human-built spaces such as building edges, vents, roofs, balconies, eaves, chimneys, grass patches, and parking areas.

This creates shared space conflict between everyday human activities and urban wildlife needs. Humans are affected by habitat fragmentation, lack of safe nesting spaces, droppings, hygiene concerns, noise, and building maintenance issues.

Birds are affected by habitat loss, urban hazards, reduced food resources, and light and noise disturbance. The project investigates how droppings management and habitat guidance can reduce conflict without removing birds from the city.

Background research board showing human-bird shared space conflict, birds' living problems, and current solutions
Background research board: human-bird shared space conflict, bird living problems, and current solutions

Habitat
Research

Different birds occupy different urban layers, which means conflict appears in different physical locations.

Research Summary

  • Building-based birds use eaves, beams, bridges, sheds, chimneys, vents, and vertical cavities.
  • Ground-based birds use shrubs, low grass, gardens, bare ground, gravel, lawns, and parking edges.
  • Different bird species need different nesting conditions.
  • Human conflict often comes from nesting locations that overlap with maintenance, foot traffic, cars, and building systems.

Different birds need different habitat forms, so one universal nesting solution cannot address every human-bird conflict.

Habitat research board showing building-based birds, ground-based birds, and droppings collection strategy
Habitat research board: building-based birds, ground-based birds, and droppings collection strategy

Early
Insights

The research points toward guided coexistence rather than simple attraction or removal.

Insight 01

Habitat needs are spatially layered.

Birds occupy different layers of the city, including ground, trees, building edges, eaves, chimneys, and vertical surfaces.

Insight 02

Human conflict often comes from uncontrolled nesting locations.

Droppings, blocked systems, maintenance access, and hygiene concerns usually appear when birds nest in high-conflict zones.

Insight 03

Coexistence requires boundaries.

A successful solution should not simply attract birds everywhere. It should guide nesting and droppings into safer, more manageable areas.

Insight 04

Different birds need different habitat forms.

Building-based birds and ground-based birds require different structures, materials, heights, and levels of protection.

Current Design
Direction

The project is still in progress and currently focuses on translating research findings into a system-level coexistence strategy.

Bird Support

Guide safer habitat use

  • safe nesting zones
  • species-specific habitat forms
  • reduced disturbance
  • protected feeding and resting areas
Human Support

Reduce daily conflict

  • droppings management
  • maintenance access
  • reduced hygiene concerns
  • clear boundaries between bird zones and human-use zones

Possible
Strategy

The next stage remains exploratory and will test how research can become modular urban infrastructure.

The next design stage will explore a modular urban habitat system that gives birds safer nesting and resting options while helping humans manage droppings, maintenance, and building conflicts.

Next Directions

Exploratory system opportunities

  • high-conflict nesting area management
  • under-eave droppings collection
  • high-altitude nesting support
  • decentralized soil integration
  • modular habitat forms for different species