A Mourning Dovecote / Schwartz and Architecture

This 390 sq ft studio addition onto the owner/architect's existing home in Sonoma, California, takes inspiration from the site's abundant pairs of Mourning Doves. The Mourning Dove, one of the most widespread of all North American birds suffering the impact of habitat loss, is typically monogamous yet is a prolific breeder, raising up to six broods a year. Both sexes take turns incubating –the male from morning to afternoon and the female the rest of the day and night. Appreciation of these qualities and the dove's historical associations with peace and calm made the idea of cohabitation with them a critical leitmotif –one made even more potent in a global pandemic.