Habitat for Humanity
Habitat for Humanity is an international, ecumenical Christian, non-governmental, non-profit organization devoted to building “simple, decent, and affordable” housing. Homes are built using volunteer labor and are sold at no profit, with no interest charged on the mortgage.
Each year the Winston-Salem chapter has a fundraising event called Birdfest. The goal of the project is to engage people of all ages to create artwork inspired by nature that is donated and then auctioned off to event attendees.
Birdland - Front View
We decided to create a birdhouse with a jazz theme. “Birdland” is a tangible celebration of the spirit of jazz and the songs of nature. Named after the famous club in New York City, our birdhouse pays homage to the jazz joints of yesteryear and to Charlie Parker, also known as “Bird”.
The overall shape of the structure is similar to a metronome, and a visitor will need to pass over a drumstick perch and through a guitar’s sound hole to enter the club. Once inside, the bird will pass by historic flyers, sheet music, and album art from Charlie Parker’s career. Each of the side walls have handwritten music notes covering them, intersected by windows with panes made from guitar strings. The wall behind the stage has the titles of songs made famous by Bird over the course of his career. A nest made from shredded sheet music cradling a lone saxophone takes center stage under a ceiling filled with spotlights.
“Birdland” is writ large on the awning over the stage in front of the building, a tribute to the original appearance of the namesake club in the 1950s and ‘60s. Sheet music clings to the colorful brickwork that surrounds the building, while a roof made with shingles of recycled tickets keeps everything protected. The rear of the building has Parker bopping out a signature piece as birds fly up to surround him. A large vertical sign with marquee lights proclaims that Birdland is open for business and serves as a beacon to draw visitors inside.
Birdland - Back View
We decided to create a birdhouse with a jazz theme. “Birdland” is a tangible celebration of the spirit of jazz and the songs of nature. Named after the famous club in New York City, our birdhouse pays homage to the jazz joints of yesteryear and to Charlie Parker, also known as “Bird”.
The overall shape of the structure is similar to a metronome, and a visitor will need to pass over a drumstick perch and through a guitar’s sound hole to enter the club. Once inside, the bird will pass by historic flyers, sheet music, and album art from Charlie Parker’s career. Each of the side walls have handwritten music notes covering them, intersected by windows with panes made from guitar strings. The wall behind the stage has the titles of songs made famous by Bird over the course of his career. A nest made from shredded sheet music cradling a lone saxophone takes center stage under a ceiling filled with spotlights.
“Birdland” is writ large on the awning over the stage in front of the building, a tribute to the original appearance of the namesake club in the 1950s and ‘60s. Sheet music clings to the colorful brickwork that surrounds the building, while a roof made with shingles of recycled tickets keeps everything protected. The rear of the building has Parker bopping out a signature piece as birds fly up to surround him. A large vertical sign with marquee lights proclaims that Birdland is open for business and serves as a beacon to draw visitors inside.
Birdland - Inside View
We decided to create a birdhouse with a jazz theme. “Birdland” is a tangible celebration of the spirit of jazz and the songs of nature. Named after the famous club in New York City, our birdhouse pays homage to the jazz joints of yesteryear and to Charlie Parker, also known as “Bird”.
The overall shape of the structure is similar to a metronome, and a visitor will need to pass over a drumstick perch and through a guitar’s sound hole to enter the club. Once inside, the bird will pass by historic flyers, sheet music, and album art from Charlie Parker’s career. Each of the side walls have handwritten music notes covering them, intersected by windows with panes made from guitar strings. The wall behind the stage has the titles of songs made famous by Bird over the course of his career. A nest made from shredded sheet music cradling a lone saxophone takes center stage under a ceiling filled with spotlights.
“Birdland” is writ large on the awning over the stage in front of the building, a tribute to the original appearance of the namesake club in the 1950s and ‘60s. Sheet music clings to the colorful brickwork that surrounds the building, while a roof made with shingles of recycled tickets keeps everything protected. The rear of the building has Parker bopping out a signature piece as birds fly up to surround him. A large vertical sign with marquee lights proclaims that Birdland is open for business and serves as a beacon to draw visitors inside.