We usually like talking about architecture and design firms, but this time we’re going to show you instead of an original product design which draws inspiration from the style and techniques of the world’s most famous architects to create something you probably don’t see very often: birdhouses!

Douglas Barnhard is the founder of Sourgrassbuilt, a design agency based in Santa Cruz, California. They basically design birdhouses using recycled materials but in a very original way. In fact, they draw inspiration from mid-century modernism, particularly from artists like Frank Lloyd Wright, Joseph Eichler, and the Bauhaus.

Some of the houses also include climbing plant-covered walls to make them more attractive to birds.

The “Eichleresque Atrium” below is modeled after Eichler’s San Francisco Bay Area housing developments. It includes two “houses” with an aluminum sloping roof and big windows overlooking the central atrium, where the designers installed a small bamboo trough for birds’ feed. All the wooden parts are made of teak and the house is wholly covered with high-end laminate as a protection against bad weather.

Some other birdhouses draw inspiration from the Bauhaus Movement (1919-1933), featuring more basic, pure lines and a retro style.

Like some of his works clearly show, Douglas Barnhard is also widely inspired by surf culture. One example is the “Maison Kauai”, which includes two small surfboards on its deck.

The last house is made of bamboo and takes inspiration from Japanese tea gardens, notably from the one installed in San Francisco Bay.