Burrowing Bee Totem

Type of Totem:

Corporate Totem

Target Species:

Blue Banded Bee and other clay burrowing bees

Location:

26 Cairns Street, Brisbane, Australia

Story:

This Eco-Active Totem is designed to provide a home for Blue Banded Bees and other burrowing bees. The design is inspired by the acacia seed pods. Acacia is a food source for many native bees.

Blue Banded Bees are among the most striking and beautiful native bees of Australia. These solitary bees live independently—after mating, each female builds and maintains her own nest without assistance. She typically excavates a shallow burrow in clay soil or occasionally in mudbrick structures.

Although solitary, many Blue Banded Bees often nest in close proximity to one another, creating clusters of burrows that resemble neighboring houses in a village or "kampung." This communal nesting behavior helps form vibrant local populations.

Images by @bushheritageaus and @ceresbrunswick from left to right.

The Eco-Active Totem offers a safe and stable substrate that mimics these natural conditions, encouraging Blue Banded Bees and other burrowing species to establish nests and build their communities.

Burrowing bees like Blue Banded Bees play an essential role as pollinators across both natural and urban landscapes in Australia and Singapore. Supporting their nesting and foraging habitats is crucial to sustaining local biodiversity and the health of surrounding ecosystems.

Key Design Features

• Acacia Seed Pod Inspiration: Pods within the totem are inspired by the elegant shape of acacia seed pods. Each pod features a 100mm opening, allowing easy access for caretakers to maintain or replace the mud-clay substrate as needed—ensuring a healthy and functional nesting environment over time. The pods are also removable, secured by a support plate at the base and a pin-like structure at the top, preventing them from falling off the totem while allowing for straightforward maintenance and replacement.

• Planter Base: The base features integrated planters, when filled with soil and native vegetation, help stabilize the totem while supporting local flora and insect life. The soil acts as a natural counterweight, anchoring the structure against wind and external forces.

Each Totem protects wild habitat through a donation to a wilderness conservation charity. A donation matching this Totem's cost will contribute to preserving the habitat of native bees in Queensland, managed by Bush Heritage Australia.

Sponsors:

Delta Australia Holdings

Having delivered one of Brisbane’s most celebrated buildings, Riparian Plaza, Delta Australia Holdings is proud to lead the team behind 26 Cairns Street Kangaroo Point.

Team:

Design: WOHA: Richard Hassell, Evanne Kok , Chong Siew Way, Lin Bolt

Ecology: bioSEA: Anuj Jain

Technology and Fabrication: Systmz: Ng Joo Kok, Sean Liew

Integrated Greenery: GWS Living: Zac Toh, Sylvia Toh