LMAC is back from its June break and it begins the summer season, Round #232, with an intriguing photo by 
For me, the most interesting part of this photo is the seed cone. I think of these cones as seed houses, for that is exactly what they are. They are instruments for seed dispersal by certain plant species: pine, spruce and fir trees. The scales on the cone protect the seeds (female cone). When the time is right--temperature and moisture--the scales open and expose the seeds to the elements. These seeds will likely be carried by the wind (thought there may be other carriers) to fertile ground where they will take root and give life to another tree.
In the YouTube video below the narrator explains how trees that disperse seeds via cone are not pollinated by insects. Instead they are pollinated by male cones, which contain sperm.
This design in nature is so efficient and beautiful that it is not surprising architects have been inspired to emulate the idea. This inspiration may be seen reflected in buildings, treehouses and even blinds.
The Cactus Building in Rotterdam, for example, is named 'Cactus', but has been compared to a pinecone.
The architects of the Rotterdam project (UCX Architects / Ben Huygen and Jasper Jaegers ) wanted to utilize green spaces that were exposed to sunlight. Not only are green spaces evident in the balconies, but the design of the building is such that natural sunlight reaches deep into the interior of the living space. Since this building exists in a northern climate, that sun exposure is quite important.
Then there is the Arbre Blanc, in Montpellier France.
The architects of the Arbre blanc, Sou Fujimoto, Nicolas Laisn茅 and Manal Rachdi, were inspired by the design of a tree (translation is 'white tree'), but many observers have also compared its design to that of a pinecone.
There are other, more literal pinecone-inspired designs. For example, there is the pinecone gazebo by Czech architects Atelier SAD and Mmcite虂1. This structure, designed for children, has plywood scales that resemble the scales on a pinecone. The gazebo is a mobile and is portable. Ventilation is introduced between the scales.
Then there is the Pinecone Treehouse, which is suspended among giant redwoods in California.
This treehouse is actually an airbnb and rents out to adventurous vacationers.
A final example I'll offer of pinecone-inspired designs is a "Self-adjusting shading system (that) mimics pine cones for energy-autonomous weather response". This is described as a bioresponsive, weather adaptive shade and mimics the structure of a pinecone. The YouTube video below shows not only the inspiration behind the design but also how the shades work in action.
After looking at so many pinecone-inspired human designs, it was easy for me to come up with my own pinecone house. I extracted one scale and turned it into several balconies. I imagined residences, such as those in Arbre Blanc, with open air concepts.
As you can see in my collage at the top of the blog, I put staircases under the cones. I imagine that inside the cone building there is an elevator system which allows those who dwell within to travel from floor to floor.
Creating the collage from this one idea, a pinecone residence, required me to find an appropriate environment. I found that in a futuristic picture on Pixabay.
I needed to populate my house. On the propietary site, LMAC Gallery (LIL), I found the 'people' I needed:
One of the people was actually a hybrid that combined two different individuals:
and
From these I created my own fantasy creature:
I wanted more color, more life, in my pinecone-concept collage--flowers. These I also found on LIL:
I placed the flowers around the Pixabay city. I put my people where I thought they might be in an actual fantasy city. At this point I wasn't entirely satisfied. This pinecone city was about life, so my picture had to come alive. I put in a little bit of animation to suggest the daily rhythm of life in a community.
I owe a debt to those who contributed to my collage. They are:
Stairway to pine cone house
LIL
Fantasy city
smartschwartz
Pixabay
Fantasy person
LIL
Strange giant body (lower half of hybrid fantasy creature)
LIL
Strange giant head (upper part of hybrid fantasy creature)
LIL
LMAC and LIL
The LMAC community and the LMAC contest have been a part of Hive for years now. I was one of its early participants and signed on to help out with its founder and inspiration, 
All images in LIL are free of copyright. To learn how to contribute and/or borrow from the library, consult
I love making collages. This is a form of expression that is new to me. I'm a word person. I don't do well with visuals. My daughter thinks I don't see colors properly. Maybe she's right. It doesn't matter, however, in this community. I can tap a creative reservoir that has nothing to do with words. This is a different part of my brain, and a different sort of inspiration from that to which I am accustomed.
We have true artists in this community, but you don't have to be an artist to participate. All you need is the genuine desire to creates something original, something that responds to our template. We give prizes, which sometimes are quite generous, depending on participation.
This week's contest runs until July 14. Top prize (there are three) is 31.5 Hive. We also distribute HSBI tokens randomly to participants in the contest. I obviously cannot win a prize because I'm on the jury that selects finalists. If you are creative, or have the desire to be creative in the collage way, join us. This really is a fun, supportive community.
Thank you for visiting my blog. Have a most wonderful Sunday. Peace and health to all.
@yaziris