Personal Bee Helper
To design a product made from recycled wooden pallets for the live client ‘Better Pathways’.
The Client
‘Better Pathways’ is a charity based in Birmingham who aim to help people with their mental health. One of the main activities they offer is a wood craft workshop for people to go in and make a product out of wood to be sold.
We were to create new and exciting designs that could possibly be put into production with the theme of ‘Empowerment Through Production’.
For my design to achieve empowerment in the maker I wanted the product to have a purpose that is beneficial for the environment. This also fits well with the recycled wooden pallet material.
Initial Ideation
Bee hotel requirements:
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- At least 100mm depth
- An over hang on top to protect from rain and wind
- Bamboo canes, bramble sticks or other hollow wooden sticks with the hole approximately 6- 10mm in diameter.
Plants that attract bees:
- Lavender
- Bee Balm
- Pansies
- Mint
- Snowdrops
- Milkweed
Development
Most of the development stemmed from trial and error of making the bee hotel, whether this was on CAD with cardboard or wood.
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The design had to be simplified as it was challenging to keep track of all the angles. I wanted it to be simple enough for the people at Better Pathways to produce with limited resources.
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A key change in design was moving the planter from the top to the sides. This is so there could be drainage holes and to avoid the be hotel from getting water damage.
Final Design
