Hivehaus. The compact house that learns from bees.

Barry Jackson has designed a compact, modular, energy-efficient house. And the Hivehaus model – as its name suggests – is based on the honeycomb cells of beehives: hexagonal cells that can be combined to meet the needs of the inhabitants.



Nature as an architect. In the case of Hivehaus, designed by Britain’s Barry Jackson, the simple idea came from the world of honeybees and from their hives .



Each honeycomb cell is conceived as a personal space. They can be combined with others – here there are four – to turn them into an actual home. The cells come with adjustable jacks and platforms for easy erection, on uneven terrain too.





Large windows and round skylights in the roofs of each cell – which can also be configured with an optional green roofing system – guarantee natural interior lighting. The bespoke furniture was designed to be as discreet as possible, at the same time ensuring excellent living comfort.





The exterior wall of the living zone is fitted with a wood-fired stove and the whole wall can be fully opened out to create a hearth on the Hivehaus deck in fine weather.
Barry Jackson has grasped the potential of this geometric construction method, coming up with a response to the growing tendency to downsize in harmony with nature.

Project: Barry Jackson, Hivehaus http://hivehaus.co.uk
Location: UK
Year: 2013
Photography: Courtesy of Barry Jackson