[Photo: Adrian Brooks/Imagewise/courtesy Japan House London]
Architecture for long-bodied-short-legged dog by Atelier Bow-Wow for Dachshund Smooth. [Photo: Hiroshi Yoda/courtesy Japan House London]
Paramount by Konstantin Grcic for Toy Poodle. [Photo: Hiroshi Yoda/courtesy Japan House London]
Dog Cooler by Hiroshi Naito for Spitz. [Photo: Hiroshi Yoda/courtesy Japan House London]
Architecture For The Bichon Frise by Kazuyo Sejima. [Photo: Hiroshi Yoda/courtesy Japan House London]
Niku Rug by Ma Yansong for Labrador Retriever.[Photo: Hiroshi Yoda/courtesy Japan House London]
Pointed T by Hara Design Institute for Japanese Terrier.[Photo: Hiroshi Yoda/courtesy Japan House London]
D-Tunnel by Kenya Hara for Teacup Poodle. [Photo: Hiroshi Yoda/courtesy Japan House London]
Chihuahua Cloud by Reiser + Umemoto for Chihuahua. [Photo: Hiroshi Yoda/courtesy Japan House London]
Papier Papillon by Shigeru Ban for Papillon. [Photo: Hiroshi Yoda/courtesy Japan House London]
No Dog, No Life! by Sou Fujimoto for Boston Terrier.[Photo: Hiroshi Yoda/courtesy Japan House London]
Wanmock by Torafu Architects for Jack Russell Terrier. [Photo: Hiroshi Yoda/courtesy Japan House London]
Mobile Home for Shiba by Toyo Ito.[Photo: Hiroshi Yoda/courtesy Japan House London]
Chances are you’ve already mastered quarantine hobbies such as baking sourdough bread and planting a garden. So it might be time to level up to a new challenge. How about building a house for your faithful furry companion?
[Photo: Jeremie Souteyrat/courtesy Japan House London]The exhibitionArchitecture for Dogslaunched at Japan House London on September 19, and includes everything from houses to play structures to nap pods that preeminent architects have designed for dogs. But it’s notjustan exhibition. Architecture for Dogs includes concepts and blueprints so if you find one that interests you, you can build your very own. And with quarantine stretching out ahead of us, your dog probably wants a change of scenery too.
Mount Pug by Kengo Kuma for Pug. [Photo: Hiroshi Yoda/courtesy Japan House London]So far, there are 16 different designs for your doggo’s new digs. The structures are designed for a particular breed, but there’s no reason why you can’t buildMount Pug(yes, that’s the name) for just about any small pup.[Photo: Jeremie Souteyrat/courtesy Japan House London]There are a few other favorites, like theinteractive doghouse, which has a curved base so it pivots when the dog steps inside. “Today, a large proportion of dogs live indoors, their lives interwoven with their family’s lifestyles,” writes the architecture firm MVRDV, which designed the doghouse. “There is no such a thing as architecture for dogs; dogs live in people’s architecture, and according to the owners’ choices. Challenged to design architecture for dogs, we decided to give the animal a space of its own.” This concept makes the doghouse into more than a shelter; it doubles as a built-in toy, too.
Beagle House Interactive Dog House by MVRDV for Beagle. [Photo: Hiroshi Yoda/courtesy Japan House London]The “cocoon,” which was designed for a Yorkshire Terrier, is an architectural solution that works just as well for man as beast. A small, cocoon-like dog bed hangs underneath a glass and steel coffee table, which offers both a place to sleep for your pet and a place to rest your coffee cup. (Take a look through the gallery for even more examples.)
Cocoon by FGMF for Yorkshire Terrier. [Photo: Hiroshi Yoda/courtesy Japan House London]Projects are rated from easy to difficult and can take as little as one day and as long as 15 to complete. Most components, like plywood, twine, and paintbrushes can be sourced at your local hardware store (though depending on the design, you may need a specialty store). It’s a great quarantine project if you’re handy and looking for something to do. And if you don’t own a dog, maybe just watch a few of their videos that break down the build process. It’s delightfully instant stress relief—and that’s something anyone would wag their tail about.
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Lilly Smith is an associate editor of Co.Design. She was previously the editor of Design Observer, and a contributing writer to AIGA Eye on Design.More
