Chicago Skyscraper Gets Award for Being Bird-Friendly

A skyscraper being built in Chicago has received an award for incorporating features that will make it bird-friendly.

The Aqua Tower - designed by architect Jeanne Gang and her firm, Studio Gang Architects - includes an undulating exterior and will use fritted glass, which is etched to make it easier for birds to see.

The architectural firm received the Proggy award from the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals. "The American architect Louis Sullivan coined the phrase 'form follows function,'" said Ingrid E. Newkirk, PETA president. "In the Aqua Tower, form follows compassion."

PETA provided a letter of congratulations to the firm, which will also receive a framed certificate.

Chicago is in the forefront in addressing the impacts of bird strikes. They were the first U.S. city involved in the Lights Out Program, according to the Chicago Audubon Society, with about 25 buildings now taking part in the program. In 2007, the city issued a design guide for new construction and renovation.

In an article recently published in the Financial Times of London, Jeanne Gang, along with others, discussed bird-friendly building design and factors that can reduce bird mortality.

Birds striking glass windows causes the deaths and injuries to millions of birds across the United States each year.

This article was published first at the Blogger News Network.