Architecture + Birds = Collisions
But it doesn't have to be this way.
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Completed in 2020, this meditation hall at the Bright Hill Buddhist temple complex was designed by Forum Architects to be energy-efficient. The façade recalls a bamboo forest, evoking a contemplative mood. Beyond aesthetics, the densely placed external vertical rods shade the building so that the need for air-conditioning inside is reduced. The best part? The façade is bird-friendly.
A Win-Win Strategy for Singapore Buildings
The good news is that saving birds' lives can save on energy costs, too. In Singapore, the punishing heat has led architects to incorporate external baffles and shutters into window design. These shades lower the need for air-conditioning; by interrupting or eliminating window reflections, and by presenting an opaque rather than transparent surface, they also significantly reduce the risk of bird collisions.
One George Street was completed in 2005 as a collaboration between Skidmore, Owings & Merrill and DCA Architects. It was awarded the BCA Green Mark GoldPLUS certification in 2021 for, among other features, its "distinctive skin of extruded aluminum rods that provide shade and reduce glare" (www.som.com). Although saving birds' lives may not have been the architects' foremost aim, One George Street is an excellent example of how bird-friendly design can dovetail with energy efficiency.
Other (perhaps unintentionally) bird-safe solutions ...
The Genesis Building on Bukit Timah Road
Katong shopfront
Residential buildings
These strategies work for family homes, too. External shutters provide energy-saving shade and privacy while reducing the risk of bird collisions. However, glass railings (near-ubiquitous in new homes) should be avoided or, if already present, treated to be more visible to birds.
A house such as this one (shown from the second storey up) is typical of a current style in domestic architecture in Singapore. The wooden shutters on the second storey reduce the need for air-conditioning and privacy drapes. By covering the reflective surface of the windows behind, the shutters add a bird-friendly feature to the house. Note, however, that the windows to the right have interior blinds. These do little to help birds, as they do not disrupt the reflectivity of the glass. Interior blinds are also less effective at reducing the building's cooling load, since the glass heats up in the direct sun. On the top storey, the windows and glass railings pose a potential danger to birds. Read about window treatments here.
Window shades and solar baffles
Singapore architects have devised a number of aesthetically pleasing ways to shield residential windows from the heat of the equatorial sun. The ones shown below are also bird-friendly, and that's a beautiful thing.
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