The Birdsong Pavilion is a new project that will explore the potential for 3D printing to get closer to the remarkable efficiency of biological structures.

The skull of a crow which has been studied in detail, modelled and printed at approximately 100 times actual size. The crow skull displays one of the most important aspects of biological structures – the idea that ‘In biology materials are expensive and shape is cheap’ (Professor Julian Vincent). A bird skull is made from extremely thin layers of bony material connected with struts so that it combines the efficiency benefits of a dome and space frame technology.

We propose to assemble a structure, based on the bird skull, that can be used for musical performances and for projecting sound installations. It will be made from polygonal units, 3D printed from a biologically-derived raw material (PLA / potato starch).