University of Tasmania, Australia

Species Hotel: Big homes for little creatures

From humble beginnings in 2016 as a first-year Architecture and Design Course project with a tiny budget, the University of Tasmania’s Species Hotel project is having a huge impact in Tasmania and beyond. Centred on the creation of bespoke timber sculptures that serve as homes for threatened native animal, insect and bird species, it has grown to directly involve almost 400 University of Tasmania (UTAS) students, as well as schools, environmental groups, artists, farmers, scientists and members of the wider community.

The impact of the project has expanded exponentially through extensive media coverage, journal articles, a podcast, conference speaking opportunities, exhibitions and widely shared social media posts (#specieshotel), all of which have provided inspiration to others to conduct similar projects in their own location.

Top 3 Learnings

1. A genuinely engaging project can create ongoing impact through high levels of volunteer involvement.
2. Clever reuse of salvaged materials can reduce carbon emissions and compensate for a limited budget.
3. Involving a wide range of stakeholders adds to the success and resilience of a project.