Apolinário: Stingless Bee Box

Apolinário is a compact stingless bee box developed for the native Brazilian species Friesella schrottkyi, commonly known as Mirim-preguiça. The project was designed for meliponiculture in urban and rural environments with limited available space and was developed in response to practical needs identified at the Botanical Garden of the Federal University of Juiz de Fora, Brazil. The product combines functional requirements for colony management with an identity inspired by bees and their habitat. Its geometry references the honeycomb through a compact and modular composition, while rounded edges improve handling and contribute to a softer visual language. The structure was designed primarily in wood, with a prototype produced in Pinus. The development process included concept generation, technical drawing, physical modeling, CAD development, prototyping, wood fabrication and practical testing. Apolinário was developed as a Product Design project at the Federal University of Juiz de Fora, with a prototype implemented at the university's Botanical Garden as part of its meliponiculture activities. Project development: Jean Victor de Paula and Karla Christina Piva Mostaro.