Princeton Community Housing (PCH) provides much needed assistance across our diverse community. KSS Architects are proud to contribute to their tireless efforts by providing this birdhouse project for auction.

The materials used in our birdhouse are primarily re-sawn red and white cedar boards, donated by a member of the KSS team. Their reuse reflects a shared commitment—both from PCH and KSS—to sustainable practices and thoughtful design.

Our design draws primary inspiration from the later work of architect John Hejduk, who believed in architecture as a social contract—a unifying force that views building as a collective, social act. We strongly connect with this philosophy. The idea that architecture, in all its stages, can foster community and cultural participation resonates deeply with the mission of Princeton Community Housing.

Hejduk’s work also seized on the potential for architecture as an expression of poetic form, that static objects are evocative of awareness and can at times take on a zoomorphic quality that brings life and recognition to otherwise banal constructs.

In our birdhouse, we’ve sought to capture this imaginative spirit through a nested composition of simple, archetypal volumes that appear to “look” out into their surroundings. We believe the design harmonizes with its setting near Trinity Church and provides an inviting home for a variety of our feathered neighbors. Special attention was given to the sizing and placement of openings, the shaping of interior spaces, and the selection of materials and finishes—all tailored to attract birds that are native to our region.