Design for birds? Here you go! We would like to introduce you to a modern, suspended SÓJKA fe eder by Sandra Misiak, a graduate of the Academy of Fine Arts in Gdansk. Designed in cooperation with the Polish Birds Association, the feeder is designed for jays and fatheads visiting parks and home gardens.
The ceramic fe eder was designed to meet the specific needs of selected bird species, e.g., titmice, jays, guillemots, and at the same time to provide an interesting, designer form. One of the author's main considerations was the low cost of production - the mold was prepared for ceramic casting. As a result, the feeder is light, durable, balanced, and its streamlined, futuristic shape looks good in the garden.
The form of the feeder has been prepared for ceramic casting
© Sandra Misiak
Dobrawa Bies: How did the idea for the feeder project come about?
Sandra Misiak: The project was carried out in cooperation with the Polish Birds Association. The bird feeder fills the specific needs of the selected bird species and the other user - humans. It started with swallows. I became interested in their way of building nests under roof trusses. My first concept of a form for birds looked just like a hollow for swallows :)
Dobrawa Bies: What was the main inspiration for you?
Sandra Misiak: Simplicity and birds. I was guided by a simple, futuristic shape that would attract the attention of both birds and humans. At the same time, the object had to be a custom, lightweight form hanging on a tree, blending in with its surroundings. Undoubtedly, the shape of my feeder differs from the typical forms of feeders available on the market. I can say that my assumptions have been achieved.
bird guests in the feeder
© Sandra Misiak
Dobrawa Bies: What is the reason for the unusual shape of the feeder?
Sandra Misiak: Its streamlined and unified form stems from the design work. We design for a good image and a functional solution - my feeder meets all these assumptions.
Dobrawa Bies: What were the design difficulties?
Sandra Misiak: Definitely reconciling form with technology. My goal was, and still is, to make a feeder out of ceramic. Taking into account the technological possibilities with the unusual form of the feeder was quite an undertaking. The target material was to be funnel clay with an admixture of chamotte. I analyzed the raw material for its shrinkage after firing, heaviness and resistance to weather conditions.
method of assembling the feeder
© Sandra Misiak
The feeder is hung at a considerable height, which also had to be taken into account in the design. Any cross splicing, which I did with a durable sailor rope, adjusting the type of clay to the weight of the feeder after firing, the streamlining and size of the form, adjusting the various elements of the form to weather conditions - these are among the many aspects of the design process that had to be taken into account when creating the SÓJKA feeder.
