Things we Make: Birdhouse

In addition to making useful items for humans, 3D printing can also be used to make things for our animal friends. For example, in 2011, MakerBot sponsored a competition to design 3D printed shells for hermit crabs. More recently, MakerBot held a competition to see who could design the best birdhouse. The winning design was submitted by Erik Durwood and is freely available at Thingiverse. We recently printed this birdhouse and are proudly displaying it in our lab (see below). As shown in the photo, the design is inspired by the American Craftsman Bungalow movement and is richly detailed. Now all we need are some birds!