2020 Exhibition Cancelled 

Due to COVID-19 emergency closures, this year's exhibition has been cancelled.

Please join us for next year's exhibition in 2021! 

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The Project

Architecture for the Birds is the result of a design challenge posed to students in the Department of Architecture at North Dakota State University. The project was designed to serve a very particular, very discerning set of clients. The challenge? Design and build a birdhouse based on the work of a Pritzker-Award-winning architect; research, analyze, and interpret one the architect’s structures; come to a deeper understanding of the architect's design philosophy; and incorporate this understanding into the bird house's design. The clients? A set of local birds known to nest in human-made bird houses. The students were asked to consider their bird's favored environment, nesting habitat, spatial needs, numbers of family members and patterns of use -- all issues necessary for the effective design of a dwelling (human or otherwise). Architecture for the Birds is a pedagogical exercise rooted in environmental stewardship, community collaboration, and a passion for design.

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Entries to the annual exhibition at the Plains Art Museum include the resulting birdhouse and a graphic component describing the architect, bird species, and student's design process. 

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The Sponsors

This exhibition is put on with the generous sponsorship and collaboration of the following area architecture firms, businesses, and non-profits: 

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