Nwankpa Design was invited amongst a select group of architects to create a birdhouse for a temporary installation to support Ganna Walsaka Lotusland in Montecito, CA. The installation celebrated the importance of birds and the special ecosystem that Lotusland provides for their avian friends.

Woven Shelter joyfully connects traditional West African textile weaving techniques to the intricate layered weaving of natural materials that birds do to create their nests. Protection, family, and pride are all fundamental to the colorful shelter whose bold presence is blurred through abstraction. A double cavity with an acrylic exterior provides increased thermal protection while hinting at the layered nature of its technical weaving and the colorful pattern on the interior wall is a modern take on the sophisticated stripweaving patterning found in many West African textiles.

SERVICES:
Design & Fabrication

Status: Completed 2022
Location: Lotusland, Montecito, CA

Project Team:

Susan Nwankpa Gillespie, Melissa Yip, Edward Phi Mai