THE HIVE MIND

CAUKIN Studio worked alongside the Eden Project and the B4 Project to design an observation beehive in Cornwall, UK. Constructed from reclaimed scaffolding poles, the pavilion acts as a sculptural beacon to draw visitors to view the 25,000 bees that live within - soon to increase to 50,000 by next summer. A multi-national team of 9 architecture students and graduates built the structure with guidance from CAUKIN Studio & Centrespace Design over the course of 3 weeks. 

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The Eden Project, a popular visitor attraction in Cornwall houses many plants from diverse climates and environments. In October 2019, the centre celebrated becoming a protected bee reserve for the native dark honey bee (Apis mellifera mellifera), by unveiling the new observation hive. The pavilion will enable visitors to learn about the importance of these creatures and see how they live. 

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In the same way as a bee colony acts as a single organism, each structural column is connected and dependent on the others in order for it to stand strong. The pavilion has been made with locally-sourced reclaimed standard scaffolding and sustainably sourced timber. The silhouette of the structure creates lattice shapes in reference to the honeycomb produced by bees. 

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To explore more of the incredible global community projects which CAUKIN undertake visit CAUKIN Studio