Design briefs, quite typically and understandably, focus on the client at hand. Their inspirations and desires, the requirements and function of a structure, as well as what a building or development will be able to provide. While many briefs call for developments that are sustainable and co-exist harmoniously with their surrounding ecosystem, it’s time we started taking care of the birds.

Yes, the birds. Especially for commercial developments. Why, you ask? Because there’s a stack of them dying around the world from colliding into buildings each year. A study by the American Ornithological Society estimates between 365 and 988 million birds are killed each year due to building collisions, with 56 percent of these due to low-rise buildings, 44 percent at residences and around 1 percent due to high-rise towers. While there aren't exact figures for all bird deaths attributed to windows and buildings in Australia, approximately 2 percent of the swift parrot breeding population is killed due to collisions with windows, fences and vehicles.

Glass facades and commercial buildings are synonymous with one another, and rightly so. It evokes a sense of invitation, transparency and assuredness, but more must be done in order to protect birds. New York City Council introduced a law in 2019 that updated building codes that would ensure the safety of birds with new glass structures, with new developments required to have a Threat Factor of 25 or less to meet bird-friendly design requirements. The Threat Factor is determined by a number ranging between 1 and 100 that indicates the relative effectiveness of materials or assemblies, typically in reducing bird collisions, but not exclusively, evaluated per a binary choice flight-tunnel protocol involving live birds.

The creation of the law is one of the first of its kind anywhere around the world, but metropolitan councils in Australia would do well to follow suit. Additionally, any building over 23 metres is required to be patterned in order for birds to be able to process it in their line of sight.

When it comes to major commercial builds, in some cases the needs of birds are still being ignored. An article by Dezeen indicates eight of the 10 tallest skyscrapers in the world are wrapped in glass, with a number of buildings currently under construction that do not assist with lowering the death toll.

The onus isn’t simply just on architects or their clients to factor birds into their thinking during the design process. Glass manufacturers may have to make changes to their glazing in order for birds to better understand the obstacles in their flight path. Fritted glass is one potential solution that was adopted by American practice FXCollaborative when updating the facade of New York’s Jacob K Javits Center. White noise emitted from external speakers to deter birds from flying anywhere near a building is another, as is the University of Queensland-created ‘zen curtain’, which sees ropes strung to the outside of buildings that cast patterns and shadows on glass. But ultimately, changes to building regulations must be enacted in order to prevent mass bird deaths.

While building regulations akin to New York’s Local Law 15 lie in the hands of local councils, the built environment community certainly has a role to play in reducing collision-related bird deaths. Subtle changes to the facades will only benefit local wildlife, and ensure the longevity of many endangered species both at home and abroad.

Image: https://www.guardianglass.com/gb/en/why-glass/build-with-glass/applications-of-glass/glass-for-facades/bird-friendly-glass

Jarrod Reedie

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