Hive is a modular kinetic architecture inspired by bee colony behaviour. Certain types of Mexican honeybees produce a wavelike cascade by ‘shimmering’ when they feel threatened. When a wasp or another big insect come too close to the hive, the honeybees work together to disorient the attacker. The wave effect makes it difficult for an insect to single out and attack an individual honeybee. The design project harnesses this behaviour to create a shimmering facade system.

Hive has a single-button, fully automatic core system. It tessellates any type of geometry into hexagons and exports fabrication, assembly data and cost estimation to the user at the push of a button. Its program can be used by anyone to turn their own concepts into reality, with or without prior knowledge about coding, mechanical systems, and electrical wirings. This is inspired by the intrinsic attitudes of bees – a bottom-up, emergent order organises the hive building.