This past week our team visited Science World to get a better idea of what we were up against. Over the course of our visit we saw seagulls landing all over the geodesic dome and realized the extent of the problem. In addition to the exterior skeleton of the dome itself, we saw birds grouping together at its base. We sat down and brainstormed a number of ideas to deal with this, which we will be taking to our meeting with Mila this coming week.
- Spikes
While we recognize that it isn’t feasible to cover the entire dome with spikes, it may be effective to use them on specific problematic areas. For example, the base of the dome sees a lot of traffic from the birds, and this could serve as a deterrent for them to come to the dome in the first place. As of right now it seems like our most reasonably priced solution. - Glue
There are a number of glue-like products on the market that can be spread on a surface to make it uncomfortable for a bird to land on. While we discussed this extensively, we ultimately decided that it was likely infeasible because of the amount of space that would need to be treated, the difficulty in applying it, and the need to reapply it on a regular basis. This process may exceed the cost of repairing the dome. - Electric Charge
We briefly discussed sending an electric charge through the frame of the dome, but decided this was dangerous to the birds and potentially nearby humans. - High Frenquency Sound
We are currently leaning towards the installation of a high frequency system that deters birds from entering the area. We have seen many precedent examples, such as stadiums and apartment buildings that use this technology. We still need to do more research, as we have two major concerns: money, and the effect on other animals. We do not want to accidentally create a nuisance for pet owners walking on the seawall, and need to come up with an economical solution. However, we believe that a central hub with speakers placed strategically around the building may be part of a potential solution to Science World’s bird problem.
Our prevailing idea right now is some sort of composite system utilizing both frequencies and spikes. At this time we are not able to complete a timeline of the project – we will attach this to our next post after meeting with Mila.
I commend the team for taking the initiative to do a site investigation before everyone meets the client! When there is safety issues, a lawsuit is not far behind. I’m glad how the team collectively, is looking not at just the pros of the solution but the cons as well. Definitely iron the creases when the team talks to Mila!