Entorns Apiary is a beekeeping research project exploring permacultural approaches to local bee farming in the Pyrenees, developed during a residency at Entorns. The result is a collection of three hives, each experimenting with a different beekeeping technique and crafted entirely from materials sourced within the village.

The Japanese Piled Hive, built from locally discarded wood, adapts its size to seasonal changes. It consists of three stacked modules in winter and expands to four in summer. At the end of the season, the top module is removed, harvesting honey and beeswax together. After hibernation, an empty module is added at the base, allowing the colony to extend its freeform honeycombs undisturbed. A removable inspection board at the bottom facilitates monitoring.

The Inverted Pyrenean Hive reinterprets the region’s traditional Layens hive by flipping its structure. Instead of opening from the top, the hive tilts on the hinged system for inspection, which preserves the colony’s warm, pheromone-infused air. This allows beekeepers to assess colony health from the bottom without disturbing the bees.

The third hive, a Swarm Trap Hive, repurposes an old collection basket coated in cow dung. Inspired by traditional hives from Andalusia and North Africa, it serves as a temporary shelter for swarms before they are relocated to a permanent hive.