What does your nest look like?

[I posted about this article when it first came out, but my students were discussing that *big* question...what is architecture? Well, it's a big question in architecture school...probably not so much outside of the architectural world. But animal and insect architecture came up and got me thinking about these fascinating little structures...]

What does your nest look like?

Mine is filled at the moment with pillows, and half-made cards, and books, and scribbled-on lecture notes, a broken over door, a chin-up bar I can barely hang from, my (five-toed!) running shoes, and the sound of early-fall-Gilmore-Girls on the dvd player. And did I mentioned the books?? [I am not a minimalist, in case you did not pick up on that…]

Take a look at this little bees' nests. Or incubators, I guess. Wombs. Aren’t our nests wombs of sorts though, housing us as we grow?

(Image, fascinating article – from NPR: http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=126556246)

Buzz-worthy

After reading the very cool article from NPR about the bees who make the wonderful magical little nests to house single eggs (see my post "Bee Flower Architecture" below)...I've decided to try (TRY being the key word) to give bees the benefit of the doubt. So I got a little up close and personal with my camera and watched them drinking up the sugary yumminess of these sweet flowers. Until one buzzed a little too close to my ear and sent me scampering off...

Bee Flower Architecture

Check this out: http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=126556246 Aren't they gorgeous? I have an irrational though, I feel, justified fear of bees. They sting me for no apparent reason. People tell me if I leave them along, they'll leave me alone but I do not find this to be the case. They'd lead much happier and longer lives if they left me alone, as, though I've never seen one drop to the ground immediately post-attack, they do die after they sting right? However, these guys seem pretty cool. Check out the nests. Insect architecture... I love these - I wonder if I could make something like this and make some sort of delicate mobile? Hmmm...