Hive Design
The recent disappearance of vast numbers of worker bees from their colonies sounded an unexpectedly resonant ecological alarm. It quickly became clear—to beekeepers, scientists, and the average honey-eating consumer alike—that a decline of bee populations would lead not only to higher price tags on our beloved natural sweetener but also potentially to the disastrous malfunctioning of entire ecosystems. Campaigns were launched, blockbuster movies were made, and educational curricula were developed, all with the goal of raising awareness about the plight of a tiny creature we’d long thought of only for its ability to produce exquisite honey and inflict equally exquisite pain.
Outside of the movie theaters and the classrooms, more industrious souls began working on behalf of the worker bee by learning the secrets of apiculture. While beekeeping has been practiced since antiquity, the effects of the modern Colony Collapse Disorder awakened a fresh interest in tending hives as both a hobby and a business opportunity. These small, distributed operations spread into city backyards and even onto rooftops in neighborhoods too dense for lawns. Honey has become a shining star of the local-food movement, promising special immune-boosting and allergy-fighting properties for people who consume the sweet stock of their region.
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Dwell Magazine