Bird-Safe Building Guidelines

by Hillary Brown, AIA;  Steven Caputo

This brief manual offers practical design strategies for creating buildings that are safe for birds. Some of the causes of bird collisions are reflection, transparency, and the “beacon effect,” when a lit building attracts birds at night. Solutions to these problems vary from building orientation and massing to placing patterns on glass or shading screens in front of windows; many of these strategies are compatible with other green building strategies, such as light pollution avoidance and lowered energy use, and LEED requirements. Case studies demonstrate the strategies in action.

This information was last verified on 10/22/07

RELATED CASE STUDIES

Cusano Center at Tinicum (18,000 sq. feet) (1,700 sq. meters) Assembly, Interpretive Center, Retail, Park

Cusano Center at Tinicum The Cusano Environmental Education Center (CEEC) is located at the John Heinz National Wildlife Refuge at Tinicum in Philadelphia. The project consists of two buildings--a classroom building and an exhibit building--linked by a boardwalk. A third building, for administrative offices, will be constructed in the future. The CEEC's three main goals are: preserving and restoring Tinicum marsh, promoting environmental education, and providing visitors with an opportunity to study wildlife in its natural habitat.

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