This Pad's for
The Birds

Pinehurst architect Richard T. Banks applies his talents to building fancy homes for a different sort of client.

At a time in life when many would put down the tools of their trade, architect Richard T. Banks turned his attention to helping others feather their nests.

In this case, Richard's clients--who happen to be birds--have the opportunity to trade up from their dwellings of sticks and dried grass. Deploying the skills he developed over a lifetime of providing living areas for humans, Richard now builds high-style houses strictly for birds.

"He has often said a house is a house no matter if it is for a bird or a human," says his wife, Marilyn. "Richard's inspiration is a love of design and aesthetics that all architects have. It was a natural progression."

Birth of a Business
Richard began his journey as birdhouse architect by building one for Marilyn's birthday. She wanted a birdhouse to add to her garden--but not just any old birdhouse. The prototype features architectural elements normally found on human houses--exposed roof brackets, a decorative arch with a keystone over the entry hole, columns at the corners, and a dentil cornice.

Excited about this new creative outlet, he sketched 60 birdhouse designs in one night. "Before, I had to wait for a client," Richard says. "Now I get the rewards of architecture on a smaller scale."

Artistic Recognition
In between his part-time consulting projects for a construction administration firm, Richard entered his creations in a competition where they were judged for artistic merit. Orders began rolling in, so Richard's son created a website (www.architecturaleditions.com). Birdhouse fanciers from across the Internet now buy Banks originals online.

His first customer gives him heartfelt praise for the works of art. "They are absolutely eye-catching," Marilyn says. "Everything he touches just turns out so beautifully."

The artist accepts accolades both from people and birds, the latter validating his works by using them. "My sister put one of my houses in a place where birds weren't supposed to go. But one actually nested there and had babies," Richard says. "Birds are always looking for a place to nest, regardless of the color of their homes."

Shapes, Patterns, and Colors
With that in mind, Richard has abandoned his initial idea of making the houses just white--even though his "plainer" varieties, sporting classic facades adorned with moldings and overhangs, stand out in most any yard. Marilyn paints those, leaving the more colorful versions to Richard.

When Richard branched into color designs, he calculated every move, such as drawing tile patterns, reproducing them onto heavy paper, affixing the paper to the birdhouses, and sealing them under several layers of polyurethane. Then he deliberately left the houses outside in the yard for 18 months in all kinds of weather. "Richard wanted to be sure that what he did would stand the test of time," Marilyn says.

"I am a stickler when it comes to quality," he admits. He stocks his own precut birdhouse parts, so that when orders come in, he's ready to pound out four or five houses a week. Considering that customers might want to maintain such nice birdhouses, he designs them to be opened and put back together easily.

Gaggle of New Ideas
With such a devoted following, it comes as no surprise that Richard is constantly churning new ideas around in his head. He plans, for example, to develop a line of decorative birds for the garden, and he's in the process of writing a birdhouse book. "There is not enough time in the day," Richard says. "I am past 60, but don't let that fool you. I stopped growing old at 27."

Richard hopes people find enjoyment in his art. "Life is short, so we might as well enjoy it while we are here," he says. "If the houses give people the pleasure of looking at something while birds flit around them, well then, why not?" Richard says he realizes he will never become Donald Trump by selling birdhouses, but that's hardly the point. "It's not about the money," he says. "You create things to bring pleasure to others."

LAURA BRUEGGE
(c) Southern Living Magazine 2004