Moss and Fog
A duck house by Cheng Tsung-feng from the Nesting Plan series, in which traditional farm structures for ducks are reimagined as miniature architectural studies — the result makes you look at vernacular animal shelter with the same care usually reserved for human dwelling
In Animals

Quack Architecture is Surprisingly Lovely

Imagine giving ducks the architectural agency they never asked for.

That’s basically the premise behind artist Cheng Tsung FENG’s latest installment in his Nesting Plan series: Nesting Plan VI – Call Duck.

A serene pond at Swiio Villa Yilan, Taiwan, featuring four floating wooden huts designed for call ducks, surrounded by autumn foliage and lush greenery.
A floating wooden hut resembling a pinecone is set on a serene pond, with lush greenery surrounding it. A white duck swims nearby.

Set on a serene pond at Taiwan’s Swiio Villa Yilan, FENG devised four floating wooden huts, each one a mini pinecone-inspired pavilion, tailored through trial and error to suit the resident call ducks’ tastes. 🦆

Aerial view of a serene pond at Swiio Villa Yilan, surrounded by trees with autumn foliage, showcasing floating wooden huts designed for resident call ducks.

The huts are clad in slanted wooden shingles (chic and practical), varying in size and buoyancy, because ducks have highly specific interior design needs.  

A serene pond with floating wooden huts inspired by pinecones, surrounded by lush greenery and autumn-colored trees, with a person walking on a wooden pathway.

What did the ducks think? Well, the design team prototyped, observed, adjusted, and didn’t consult a single duck (because, well, ducks speak in quacks).

A serene pond at Swiio Villa Yilan featuring floating wooden huts designed for call ducks, surrounded by lush greenery and autumn foliage.

They tracked how the birds approached the huts, tweaking everything from window height to flotation until the ducks gave their silent seal of approval.  

An aerial view of a circular wooden hut surrounded by greenery and a calm pond, with two ducks swimming nearby.

Now dotting the pond in harmonious, feather-approved formation, each hut features circular peephole–style windows, great for curious ducks, better for human guests peeking through telescopes from the villa rooms.

Add automatic interior lighting for cozy, glowing moments on winter nights, and you’ve got an amphibious art installation that’s functional, charming, and deeply niche.

A wooden hut inspired by pinecones, with a red flag on top, floats on a serene pond surrounded by lush green plants.

“Artist Cheng Tsung FENG’s Nesting Plan series draws inspiration from the architectural ingenuity of creatures in nature, interpreting their nest-building techniques through human construction methods and the use of rope weaving materials and techniques.

The Nesting Plan series has been completed in various locations, including five pieces: Gray-Cheeked Fulvetta, Green-backed Tit, Crested Serpent Eagle, White Wagtail, and Black Bulbul.”

A floating wooden hut designed for ducks, featuring a pinecone-inspired structure, located in a serene pond surrounded by lush greenery. A white duck is entering through one of the hut's round openings.
A wooden hut designed for ducks, featuring a dome shape with slanted shingles and a circular peephole window, situated on a serene pond with a white duck swimming nearby.
A white duck standing on the edge of a circular, wooden, pinecone-inspired hut on a pond, with slanted wooden shingles.
A serene night scene depicting a floating wooden hut designed for ducks, with circular windows, set on a pond surrounded by lush greenery and modern architecture in the background.
A wooden hut resembling a pinecone floats on a serene pond, surrounded by trees with autumn foliage, with a duck peeking out from the entrance.
Four fluffy yellow ducklings resting together in a cozy nest made of straw, viewed through a black wire framework.

Photography by FIXER Photographic Studio.

Speaking of animal houses, check out these designer dog houses, each one designed by a well known architect.

A sleek, modern dog house designed with wooden panels and a sloping roof, accompanied by a gray dog resting beside it.

Edited by Ben VanderVeen · About Moss & Fog

Author

Ben VanderVeen is the founder and editor of Moss & Fog, one of the web’s longest-running visual culture destinations. Since 2009, he’s been finding and framing the most beautiful, surprising, and thought-provoking work in art, architecture, design, and nature — reaching over 325,000 readers each month. He lives in Portland, Oregon.

Related Posts

4 Comments

  1. Moss And Fog Post Author

    Same, it’s super fun, but also really beautifully executed. Thanks for the comment.

  3. Servando Varela Jr

    Very Thoughtful, Beautiful, I like it.

  4. Melinda Briscoe

    I love this article on duck houses. They are so delightful.
    I also really like this format of your emails. I felt overwhelmed with so much in the one a day emails and didn’t really take the time to explore anything. Thank you.

What's your take?

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Discover more from Moss and Fog

Subscribe now to keep reading and get access to the full archive.

Continue reading