This document is a construction manual presented as a recipe book, aimed at anyone interested in urban ecology, DIY building, or biodiversity. It explains how to create a solitary bee house using found materials and mycelium, turning neglected urban spaces into habitats. The guide is structured in clear phases, from material collection to final assembly, and is written for a general audience,…
This is a construction manual for a solitary bee house, written as a recipe book for a general audience. It guides readers through a step-by-step process to build a mycelium-based nest, turning abandoned urban lots into habitats for solitary bees. The document is structured in clear phases, from finding materials to final assembly, and is intended for anyone interested in urban ecology, DIY projects, or biodiversity.
The manual begins with an introduction to abandoned lots in Lombardy, describing them as reactive urban ecosystems with poor soils and fragmented biodiversity. It argues for small-scale, low-impact interventions over large projects, using mycelium as a biodegradable matrix to regenerate soil. The goal is to create a nest that solitary bees can colonize, completing the area's natural cycle.
The next section covers the selection of an abandoned lot, listing key characteristics like reduced human disturbance, poor but biologically perfect soils, and the presence of spontaneous vegetation. It references a 2022 census of brownfield sites in Lombardy and describes land uses such as productive, commercial, and agricultural areas.
The manual then moves to Phase 1, finding materials. It suggests recovering mold, nesting tubes, and central tubes from the lot, including discarded pipes, wooden elements, and rigid plastic. The guide emphasizes careful selection to turn urban remnants into functional components for the mycelium-based device.
The remaining phases cover building the skeleton, preparing the mycelium, and final assembly. Visualizations show the device in both ground and raised versions, positioned within the lot. The document focuses on practical steps and the ecological rationale behind each phase, from material collection to the completed nest.