Source: inhabitat.com
Published: February 19, 2014
Philips’ just unveiled a new concept for an urban beehive that would allow anyone to become an amateur bee keeper – even those who live in apartments with no backyards. The pod-like hive attaches to a hole cut into a pane of glass. Once affixed, the glass covered pod on the inside of the window would allow you to peer into the hive while the white entryway on the outside would allow the bees the freedom come and go. Best of all, with the pull of a small cord you can have all of the fresh honey your heart desires.
Philips’ beehive concept was unveiled as a part of their Microbial Home Design unveiled at Dutch Design Week. The Microbial Home is an adventure in rethinking domestic life, with the centerpiece being a digester kitchen that turns waste into methane to provide power for the house. The urban beehive was one of many designs included in the showpiece home.
The beehive comes complete with an array of frames textured to make it easy for bees to build on them. It also comes equipped with a hole to blow smoke into — the traditional way of calming bees — in case the hive needs to be opened from the inside to be inspected. We’re sure there would be more to the keeping of these bees if the hive actually were to hit the market but so far it seems like a simple, elegant way to lend a helping hand to the bee crisis and get some sweetness in return.
The urban beehive is part of the Microbial Home Probe, a far-future design concept
by Yuka Yoneda.