schwartz and architecture nestles dovecote-inspired studio in sonoma, california

the architects built twelve nesting boxes into the angled exterior façade, encouraging the mourning dove's co-habitation of the space.

lea zeitoun March 1, 2023 4 min

‘mourning dovecote’ by schwartz and architecture

Designed as a 36 sqm studio addition onto the owner/architect’s existing Sonoma home in California, ‘Mourning Dovecote’ by Schwartz and Architecture (S^A) takes inspiration from the traditional country ‘dovecote’ that houses pigeons or doves, sometimes freestanding but often built into the ends of houses or barns. In this case, the practice researched the most advantageous height, orientation, proportion, and ventilation to encourage nesting Mourning Doves, one of the most widespread of all North American birds, a process that informed the shape of the exterior and interior spaces.

schwartz and architecture nestles dovecote-inspired studio in sonoma, california - 1 — all images © Douglas Sterling Photography

This bird species is typically monogamous and prolific breeder, raising to six broods annually. Both sexes take turns incubating, the male from morning to afternoon and the female the rest of the day and night. Therefore, S^A (see more here) built twelve nesting boxes into the angled exterior façade, encouraging the bird’s co-habitation of the space as in more traditional dovecote structures. A lower bird-watching window focuses on the doves as they ground-feed and serves as a convenient viewing spot for the owner’s two Spinone Italiano –Italian bird-dogs. A custom silk sheer panel divides the new space from the old with an image of a murmuration of swallows flocking.

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a chapel-like design inviting play

‘This highly personal and customized project by the architect-owner became a site for exploration and play. We followed every intuition about details that might contribute to the space, hoping to stay just this side of ‘too-much.’ What unites the disparate details of this addition is a sense of movement, craft, and nature. The pandemic, the passing of loved ones, and the realization that this second home would become a forever home all inspired the chapel-like atmosphere and details –and the comfort of hearing coos of Mourning Doves just outside with their soft, drawn-out calls sounding like laments,’ writes the practice.

Structure-wise, the only ‘logical’ choice for the dovecote roof was a traditional standing seam metal top –cost-effective, fire-resistant, and innocuous. But thanks to Brian Cutright of Cutright Construction and his push to keep exploring more creative solutions, the team developed the ‘feather’ roof out of the same materials at half the cost. ‘We shingled the roof in custom laser-cut metal shingles inspired by bird feathers. To maximize the use of the sheet material, we developed a feather shape that could nest together on the sheet with minimal waste at the laser-cutters,’ continues Schwartz and Architecture.

schwartz and architecture nestles dovecote-inspired studio in sonoma, california - 3 — adding 12 nesting boxes to the angled façade

living with nature

Conceptually, the essence of sustainability goals is inscribed into the project beyond basic code requirements. The project’s program is the co-habitation of people with their natural environments –here, Mourning Doves. More than just a naturalist’s interest in birdwatching, the nesting boxes –hidden from the inside– encourage the experience of their coos nearby sight unseen. At its heart, the project assumes a balanced, equal, and respectful relationship with the natural environment.

More conventionally, the project includes sustainable materials such as cork flooring, radiant heating, and solar panels. In addition, the roof ‘feathers’ are laser cut from sheet metal, and carefully nested to ensure minimal waste in fabrication. Similarly, the offcuts from the cedar siding are used to create the laminated entry bridge to the dovecote studio space.

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