INSECT HOUSE & BOTHY PROJECT

by Valentina Gonzalez-Castaneda

INSECT HOUSE
The insect house invites people to celebrate the beauty of insects whilst experiencing different levels of emotions such as wonder, excitement, amazement or disgust. It was designed to honour the importance of insects in our ecosystem – reveal their hidden beauty.
The ground floor or the building consist of a butterfly conservatory where they can interact with living insects. The first floor has a “maze” organization which “forces” people to fully travel the building before leaving it. They will find different rooms connected; some rooms explain the importance of insects in our ecosystem; other rooms have insects displayed in resin or steel structures. Ideally, people would change their mind about insects after finishing the experience. Lastly, the second floor is my client’s private space.

BOTHY PROJECT
The design of this building was influenced by mental health research. This bothy is a space where people could go when they needed to be heard, seen or understood; a space where one would find help when needed.