Basic requirements

1. the boxes must be removable
2. the fixings must be stainless steel and fixed only to mortar joints
3. all boxes must be capable of including a camera
4. all boxes should include a “concave” within which the birds will form a nest

The tricky bit – all the “windows” in the belfry tracery are of slightly different sizes, so each swift house must be individually designed, with the entry holes aligned to the quatrefoil patterns in the stonework. In the end, ten boxes per house proved possible! And all could be made from one sheet of plywood!!

The first cut was recorded for radio – no pressure!! Then came the build process, working at height in the belfry from our specially designed scaffolding platform.

Our early proof of concept: