Animal aids are building features installed in or on a building to give animals a roost, breeding site or passage. They form part of nature-inclusive building: a design approach in which buildings provide space simultaneously for people and other species.
Why animal aids?
Through urbanisation, sealing of cavity walls and better insulation, many traditional shelters for urban wildlife are disappearing. Swifts, house sparrows, bats and stone martens lose their resting places. Animal aids give that space back. In Europe they are increasingly required in new build and renovation under nature conservation legislation.
Commonly used features
For birds
- House sparrow nest boxes — integrated into the façade, often in groups of three to five
- Swift bricks — a hollow brick at height (from 6 m up)
- Swallow tiles — a special roof tile with crawl-in opening for house martins
- Bird tile vide — refuge space under the first row of tiles
- Nest boxes for kestrel or peregrine falcon — on flats and tall buildings
For bats
- Bat boxes — flat boxes on the façade, often built in
- Bat tubes — vertical space in cavity wall or façade insulation
- Bat roof tile — tile with crawl-in opening and internal cavity
- Open perpends — give access to the cavity as a roost
For insects
- Insect hotels — bundles of reed and holes in wood for solitary bees
- Moss concrete or vegetated façades — food and shelter for insects
- Flower-rich roofs — sedum roof with plant diversity
For mammals
- Hedgehog gates — under fences
- Marten-proof openings — encourage or prevent, depending on location
- Passages — under fences and in garden walls
Requirements and execution
For effective use:
- Correct height — swift brick at least 6 m, house sparrow nest 3 m
- Correct orientation — northeast for bats, southeast for swallows
- Durable materials — fired clay or wood-concrete
- Inaccessible to predators — smooth façade without climbing route for cats
Application
Architects and developers are increasingly required to include animal aids in the design. Scoring systems for nature-inclusive building assign points per feature that municipalities can prescribe as a minimum. For large-scale renovation, similar requirements apply under wildlife protection legislation.
Related terms
- Nest box
- Green roof
- Green façade
- Ecological building
- Bio-based construction
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