Luxury dog kennel design competition draws Foster + Partners architects, former Apple design chief and bespoke furniture maker David Linley among others
- Designers such as ex-Apple design chief Jony Ive, and architects including Foster + Partners, created bespoke luxury dog kennels for a charity contest and sale
- Bonehenge, designed by Birds Portchmouth Russum Architects, was adjudged the winner of the Goodwoof Barkitecture competition, which raised over US$37,500
It might seem barking mad. Or a ‘paw-sitive’ contribution to animal welfare. Either way, finding yourself in the doghouse ain’t what it used to be – especially when it raises hundreds of thousands of charity dollars.
Luxury dog kennels recently took over one corner of a slice of British countryside recognised worldwide for its racecourse. As part of the inaugural Goodwoof event, held at Goodwood on England’s South Downs in support of the Dogs Trust rescue society, architects and designers presented their inventive contributions to canine comfort.
In the Barkitecture marquee, 16 competition finalists each displayed a one-off kennel to be auctioned for the trust after an overall prizewinner had been chosen.
The finalists were sifted from more than 150 entrants; among them were Australia’s Marc Newson, ex-Apple design chief Jony Ive and architecture firm Foster + Partners, whose Russell Hales, senior partner architect, explained the genesis of a flattened, multi-panel dog “pod” previously test driven to satisfaction at the firm’s London offices by rescue mongrel Smith.
We are asked to design everything from skyscrapers to cities to door handles, but I don’t think anyone had asked us for a kennel before
“It all stemmed from a conversation with [Sir] Norman [Foster],” said Hales. “He worked, and has a huge affinity, with Buckminster Fuller, who developed the geodesic dome, and he has designed many geodesic structures himself, so there was an instant homage.