Yup we admit it – we’ve covered beehives before. But with the bee population in serious decline and our honey obsession raging increasingly out of control, we’re suckers for a project that helps a bee-bro in need. One little baby that does just that is The Urban Beehive – the graduate project of New Zealand designer Rowan Dunford. Suitably inspired by a bee-based conversation with his dad, Dunford decided to apply his design skills to an apiarist world he initially knew little about.

When early research uncovered ‘complexity’ as a major deterrent to potential beekeepers (see also fear and an old-fashioned view of bee-keeping), Dunford created a simple, flat-packed, self-assembly hive that can easily expand as the colony grows. Available in a range of colours, the design is deliberately less rustic than its counterparts and is intentionally aimed at a different type of customer. Currently in the testing stages and looking for investment, we hope this slick hive gets the chance to fly.