artist ben faga with the bees and honeycombs
image courtesy of vanessa harden


'built by...'  is a collaboration between industrial designer kevin hill, concept designer vanessa harden,
artist ben faga and well... honeybees! the three came together to create a new design process that allows
them to collaborate with the buzzing insects to create bespoke furnishings.



ben faga aligning spindles along the hive
image courtesy of vanessa harden


a custom-made 'playground hive' was designed, in which the bees can build, attached but separate from
their home and nursery. this arrangement allows the 'built by...' team to craft furniture without removing
the integral structures of the honeycomb.




the beehive playground
image courtesy of vanessa harden


the trio's first venture is an edwardian-styled baby crib. it has been chosen as the inaugural product to reflect
the purpose of the honeycomb itself - bees use combs to rear their young. it also symbolizes the hope of a
future pairing between humankind and the environment, in an attempt to create products that shape cultural values
moving towards a sustainable future. by creating this physical and visual relationship with the bees, the designers
believe the crib will foster a form of sensitivity and understanding of the child's place within the greater
ecological organism that is our planet.



checking the honeycomb process
image courtesy of vanessa harden


the beehives used in the process are located on the roof of the artists' studio in london, where the bees forage
from the local community to sourcematerials needed to create what will eventually become the baby's crib.



busy bees at work
image courtesy of vanessa harden


the ongoing project embraces the natural process, and will be further developed over the next 12 months,
as it transforms into the hive-crafted crib.



first spindle on display at designersblock 2010
image © designboom


the first spindle displayed is coated with a metal and composite spray, reflecting the designers' continuous
investigation of solidifying the underlying hive structure. a second spindle illustrates an exploration into the
construction of the honeycomb being conducted by the bees themselves.



image © designboom


a first phase of 'built by...' was exhibited in the selfridges wonder room. the second presentation was recently
on show at designersblock during london design week 2010.

an early version of the project entitled 'shrine to humankind: a collaboration between insects and humans'
was also shortlisted as part of the designboom competition 'design for all' in collaboration with seoul design foundation.



image courtesy of vanessa harden



installation view at designersblock
image courtesy of vanessa harden



installation view at designersblock
image courtesy of vanessa harden



drawing of the first product - a baby's crib
illustration by minho kwon



installation view at designersblock
image © designboom


also on show at designersbock were hand-screen printed wallpaper and wrapping paper with a metallic silver
and gold texture printed directly from the honeycomb. alongside the paper was a display of raw, unfiltered honey
packaged in amber glass jars, each containing a piece of honeycomb straight from the hive.



designers kevin hill and vanessa harden
image © designboom