Seven nest-shaped buildings wrapped in branches, twigs and pine

Top and above photo by Farma Čapí

Stork Nest Farm, Czech Republic, by SGL Projekt

Constructed from a timber frame wrapped in large sticks, this dome in the Czech Republic was designed by SGL Projekt to look like an oversized stork nest.

It encloses a horse riding arena that forms part of a hotel and conference centre at a former farmstead and distillery. The design and name of Stork Nest Farm is a nod to storks that once lived in the roof of the distillery after it fell into disuse.

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Photo by Treehotel

The Bird’s Nest, Sweden, by Inredningsgruppen

Created as one of the unique rooms at the Treehotel in northern Sweden, the Bird’s Nest is a circular structure entirely covered in twigs that is reached by a retractable staircase.

“From the outside it appears as a big nest, only the scale separating it from other nests in the vicinity,” said Swedish studio Inredningsgruppen.

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Image courtesy of Beijing 2022

Beijing National Stadium, China, by Herzog & de Meuron

Another project known as the Bird’s Nest is the Beijing National Stadium, designed by Swiss studio Herzog & de Meuron as the main venue for the 2008 Beijing Olympics.

The stadium’s seating was wrapped in a steel lattice envelope, which gives the building its nickname.

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Photo by Michael Smallcombe.

Dartmoor Treehouse, UK, by Jerry Tate Architects

This wooden treehouse in Devon by London-based Jerry Tate Architects was informed by a nest made by weaver birds.

The small pod-like form was created by the studio in collaboration with students as part of the Dartmoor Arts Project.

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Photo by Joe Fletcher

Hotel Mar Adentro, Mexico by Taller Aragonés

Surrounded by shallow pools at the centre of a hotel development in Mexico, this inverted, nest-like structure encloses a private dining area.

The structure at the Hotel Mar Adentro was designed by Taller Aragonés.

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Photo courtesy of Synecdoche

Edge Condition Pavilion, USA, by Synecdoche

Michigan architects Synecdoche stacked timber offcuts to construct this pavilion in Atlanta, Georgia, which it described as an “inhabitable nest”. The timber is held together by gravity alone.

“The standardised one-inch thick wood edge and weight of the hardwood compress the stack into an inhabitable nest stabilised by its dimension and assembly,” explained the studio.

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Photo courtesy of Planet 3 Studios

Baya Park offices meeting room, India, by Planet 3 Studios

Strips of pine wood form this woven structure, which Planet 3 Studios designed as a semi-enclosed meeting room for a property developer in Mumbai. It was informed by the nests of Baya weaver birds, after which the developer was named.

“Baya weaver birds make exquisitely complex nests and the brand name and identity borrow from iconographic imagery that is associated with the birds,” said Planet 3 Studios. “Our key idea was to build a sculptural, dynamic, fluid form that evokes the Baya nest in an outscaled way.”

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