Hrōst Installation Royal Academy: Architecture for Birds, Bats, Insects, and Humans
In the heart of London’s Burlington House, the Hrōst installation Royal Academy rises six metres tall with a simple, radical purpose: to give nature a place to live. Designed by 51 Architecture for the Royal Academy’s Summer Exhibition, Hrōst is not just a structure — it’s a multi-species habitat.
Installed in the Lovelace Courtyard until 17 August, Hrōst combines architectural aesthetics with ecological thinking. The name “Hrōst” comes from the Old English word for “roost,” nodding to its mission: to offer birds, bats, insects, and small mammals places to shelter, roost, hibernate, and thrive. The project was developed in collaboration with Price & Myers and built by BlokBuild using modular timber cassettes filled with wool insulation.
At a time when biodiversity is under threat and modern buildings are sealed off from the natural world, Hrōst presents a provocative alternative — architecture as a tool for ecological restoration. With perforated cladding, deep overhangs, and crevices for different species, it demonstrates how design can welcome not just humans but whole ecosystems.
Shelter Beyond Species: Designing Architecture for Nature
Reimagining the Barn as a Multi-Species Structure
51 Architecture refers to Hrōst as a “proxy barn” — a symbolic and functional reinterpretation of the agricultural barn, once a shared refuge for both people and animals. With intensive land use and climate change eroding natural habitats, the studio envisions Hrōst as a deployable typology in vulnerable landscapes.
The design tapers inward as it rises, forming a tall but gentle silhouette. Its timber roof features oversized eaves, deliberately extended to provide shelter for birds, insects, and even wasps. This generous gesture recalls traditional vernacular architecture while applying it to serve non-human life.
Materials for Temperature, Shelter, and Species Diversity
The structure’s body is composed of timber cassettes insulated with wool, which not only moderates internal temperature but aligns with sustainable, low-impact construction. Built on four foundation points, the entire form hovers above ground, creating space beneath for a hibernaculum — a safe spot for hedgehogs, amphibians, and reptiles to overwinter.
The external skin is clad in perforated featheredge timber, carefully chosen to attract bees and butterflies. This cladding also acts as a passive ventilation system while providing micro-shelters for invertebrates.
Built-in hollows and gaps — each with specific dimensions and locations — serve as nesting spaces for owls, swifts, and bats, designed in consultation with ecological experts.
Table: Species Accommodation in Hrōst Installation Royal Academy
| Feature | Target Species | Purpose | Design Details |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overhanging roof eaves | Migratory birds, wasps | Shelter from rain and sun | Deep timber overhangs |
| Perforated featheredge cladding | Bees, butterflies, insects | Micro-habitat and light ventilation | Narrow vertical slits in timber boards |
| Hollows and crevices in façade | Bats, owls | Roosting and nesting | Varying depth and shape |
| Raised structure and base space | Amphibians, reptiles, hedgehogs | Hibernaculum | Ground-level refuge |
| Internal monitoring access | Human caretakers | Cleaning and habitat maintenance | Discreet door at the base |
Architectural Analysis: Ecology as Architectural Client
Hrōst challenges traditional architectural paradigms by prioritizing the needs of multiple non-human species. The design logic stems from biocentric thinking — where thermal comfort, spatial arrangement, and material selection are all tailored to suit the life cycles of birds, insects, and mammals.
Architecturally, Hrōst works as both installation and prototype. Its demountable structure and modular system allow for future relocation or replication, suggesting a typology of “ecological pavilions” adaptable to different sites.
The use of untreated timber, breathable wool insulation, and natural ventilation moves beyond aesthetic sustainability and into functional ecology. The built form acts not as a building, but as a living system — facilitating light, airflow, shelter, and observation.
This logic reflects the realities of contemporary architectural responsibility: to provide not just for people, but for the interconnected web of species that make life possible.
Project Importance: Rethinking Architectural Clients and Purpose
The Hrōst installation Royal Academy invites designers and architects to reconsider who architecture is for. By intentionally designing for creatures that cannot speak — or pay — it raises ethical and ecological questions: Can architecture act as a mediator between built form and nature?
This matters now more than ever. As urban biodiversity declines and ecosystems become more fragmented, architectural interventions must evolve beyond human-centered logic. Hrōst proposes a spatial typology where function is shared across species, and where structures serve both ecological repair and aesthetic experience.
Its relevance lies in its adaptability, symbolism, and replicability — inspiring similar interventions in public spaces, parks, and even urban developments.
✦ ArchUp Editorial Insight
Hrōst stands as an elegant yet radical intervention where architecture merges with ecology. Visually, the project maintains a rustic modernity — the tapering timber frame, perforated cladding, and deep shadows convey both shelter and sculptural presence. The warm wood and soft textures contrast with the hard steel-and-glass norms of urban installations.
Still, one might ask: does its temporary exhibition setting risk diminishing its long-term potential? The design begs to live in wilder, real environments — forests, fields, or degraded edges — not just curated courtyards.
Yet, as a prototype, Hrōst offers a compelling new typology: a living shelter for all species. It brings nature and architecture into dialogue — not as metaphors, but as users.
Conclusion: Toward a Multi-Species Future in Architecture
The Hrōst installation Royal Academy signals a turning point in architectural thought. Where once buildings sealed out nature, this project invites it in — structurally, spatially, and ethically. With its accessible form, biodegradable materials, and quiet commitment to biodiversity, Hrōst becomes both a functional shelter and a public statement.
In the face of climate collapse and ecological erosion, architecture must take on new roles. Hrōst suggests one such role: the infrastructure of coexistence. It’s not just a beautiful timber pavilion — it’s a habitat generator, a passive climate moderator, and a quiet sanctuary for forgotten lives.
As the public engages with it during the RA Summer Exhibition, the hope is that its ideas don’t end here. Hrōst may just be the first in a new generation of buildings where bats, bees, owls, and people find a home — together.
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