The Dog Houses

Dogchitecture entry | Design by Rojkind Arquitectos | Image via Dogchitecture

We all have a right to our own home. Our dogs aren't any different.
For many, a simple pillow, for others a wooden little house. But such as we adapt our homes to our tastes, we can also adapt their homes to theirs!

This concept has lasted for thousands of years. This proof of houses for our little friends as old as the piramids.
Dogs were highly valued as pets and hunting partners throughout our history, sometimes even as messengers of god!
Egipcian nobility kept them in brick houses and trained them with specialized professionals in the field. These are the oldest canine shelters that we know of. Although nothing indicates that the practice wasn't older still.

These shelters evolved throughout the ages, since Roman, Greek and Chinese societies and across the Middle Ages up until our days.
Now is the time with the biggest variety of shapes and sizes, a house for each species, at least.

Interactive Dog House | Design by MVRDV | Image via Visual News

Wood was always the material of choice for these constructions, given it's availability, low cost, ease of use, good isolation and structural integrity. On the other hand, since the 1960's that plastic dog houses also dominate the market since it's so easy to mass produce and it's general mobility.

Some speculate that the number of dog houses built by their owners have risen since the advent of the internet.
Just search a little and you'll find videos and articles littered with an almost infinite amount of possible designs, adapted to our resources and needs.

Dogchitecture projects | Designs by PMS Arch Buro, Laboratorio Arquitectura Básica and BNKR Arquitectura, respectively | Images via Archdaily

In this context varied expositions and contests arose. Amongst them we found the proposal from the graphical designer Kenya Hara particularly interesting - Architecture for Dogs, a group of DIY projects about dog houses inside your own, developed by renown architects and designers.

Thirteen proposals were created for the different physical needs, psicological profiles and health concerns for different canine species.

NO DOG, NO LIFE! and PAPIER PAPILLON | Design by Sou Fujimoto and Shigeru Ban, respectively | Images via Architecture for Dogs

Some of these proposals aren't even houses but instead spacial experiments that question the life of animals through their understanding of their surroundings.

This was the objective of Sou Fujimoto and Shigeru Ban. In both proposals, even though different and unique, reflect the desire of superimposing canine life with day-to-day experiences and the spaces they encompass. These houses are part of the daily routine of our furry partners and it makes sense that they'd be part of ours.

Sou Fujimoto proposes the free mix between the objects that we use commonly and sets them on a shelf that works as a place of rest for the dog. Using 7 millimeter-wide rods and 20 centimeter wide pannels, a grid of cubes is created to store parts of the pet and his owner's life, connecting both physically and recreating their relationship.
NO DOG, NO LIFE! is the apropriate title of this work that anyone can have in their own house, ready to revolutionize the concept of a "pet".

Shigeru Ban went through a more abstract route. This small maze-like playground doesn't feature much confort for the dog, it simply gives him a place for fun to be had.
The comfort is for the owner, that can use these cylinders as chairs and tables to rest after playing, uniting both lives through contrast.

Mobile Home for Shiba | Design by Toyo Ito | Image via Dezeen

Even if it rains, snows or the sun shines too hard, our little friends still deserve their routine walks. Using this as a starting point for his work, Toyo Ito placed small tires on his design, an ajustable protection against the rain and sunlight and a pillow on a basket to hold our precious pet!

The base is close to the ground to ease entries and exits of the dog and it takes the shape of a ship to sail away across the streets with ease, showing off the nobility of the dog in all it's splendour.

Dog House | Design by m.pup | Image via m.pup

Architecture for Dogs wasn't the only source of well being mixed with great design for our canine partners.
As a response to the growing number of pet pals each year and a research around the dogs themselves, the minimalist design of the Dog House was born.

It's a design made from materials that respect ecological standards and healthy finishings for the pup's well being.
The pillow is the only part that can be replaced, the rest is a wooden frame that becomes a durable habitat for a dog's whole lifespan.
Its portable enough that it can accompany them throughout any adventure, with colors to fit each one!

It's a real treat for the little one.

Dog Retreat | Design by Jarmund/Vigsnæs Arkitekter, Moderne Materiell and Kebony | Image via Wallpaper

So basically we have as many examples of architecture for dogs as there are websites in the internet.

All we have to do is get the right bone for them to pick.