sculptural birdhouses emerge from children’s intuitive drawings and imagination

Children’s Drawings Rethink the Birdhouse

Birdhouse by Kids is a workshop-based project in which children’s drawings and free-form ideas are used as a basis for rethinking conventional birdhouse design. The initiative explores how intuitive visual expression can inform small-scale architectural objects intended for non-human use.

The project builds on a previous workshop, Chair for Kids, and extends its focus from designing objects for children to designing for other species: birds. It shifts attention from human-centered design toward alternative perspectives, using children’s interpretations as a starting point for new forms of habitat.

a scene where nature and children’s imagination come together | all images by Taekhan Yun

From drawings and Models to built Forms

The process begins with an introduction to local bird species in Cambodia and basic birdhouse typologies. Within this framework, children develop individual responses through drawing and clay modeling. These early studies are then translated into physical constructions using materials such as wood, cardboard, and paper.

Finishing stages involve the use of crayons, maintaining continuity with the original drawings, followed by a protective acrylic lacquer coating. Each completed birdhouse combines functional requirements with sculptural variation, resulting in a set of objects defined by distinct forms and individual expression.

The project, led by designer Taekhan Yun, highlights how participatory processes can generate alternative approaches to design, where interpretation, material translation, and construction are shaped through children’s spatial imagination.

the birdhouses are placed within the children’s school

alternative birdhouse forms are installed on trees

children proudly showing their completed birdhouses

a collection of diverse birdhouse drawings

identify birds in Cambodia and determine the appropriate birdhouse forms and hole sizes for them

90 children draw their own unique birdhouses

scenes of children freely drawing birdhouses and sharing them with one another

children transform their own drawings into three-dimensional objects

birdhouse prototypes made of clay

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coloring the birdhouses

following the drawings

finishing touches

constructing the birdhouses

project info:

name: Birdhouse by Kids

designer: Taekhan Yun | @taekhannn

location: Siem Reap, Cambodia

designboom has received this project from our DIY submissions feature, where we welcome our readers to submit their own work for publication. see more project submissions from our readers here.

edited by: christina vergopoulou | designboom