KENYA HARA, ART DIRECTOR FOR MUJI, WANTS TO RECONSIDER THE DOG HOUSE. THE CANINE WORLD WILL NEVER BE THE SAME.
We’ve all heard of dog houses, but you’ve probably never heard the phrase "dog architecture." This divide is something that Imprint Venture Lab and Kenya Hara, art director at Muji, want to change with their latest project, the aptly named Architecture for Dogs.
In the hands of a Redditor or a snarky Tumblr blog, the new website, full of high-concept dog dwellings, could be easy fodder for a joke. But for Hara, who doesn’t even claim to be a dog lover himself, reconsidering architecture from a dog’s point of view is a very pure way to rediscover “what architecture really means.”
Projects on the site challenge traditional notions of scale, perspective, and function, ranging from a variegated rug of aluminum tubes--a dog cooler for those hot summer days--to a pair of ramps for short-legged dogs, which double as a shared recliner for human and dog alike.
Muji's Architecture for dogs includes Hiroshi Naito's piece for Spitz is a way to amplify the cold tile effect on a hot summer day. The aluminum tubes can be filled with ice to create a conductive, cooling sensation (Click Image To Enlarge)
Muji's Architecture for Dogs includes this piece with ramps that lets dogs sit eye level with their owners, for more soul-stirring conversation (Click Image To Enlarge)
The projects are united with care. Each is crafted to a dog’s concerns. For instance, a hammock for Jack Russell Terriers isn’t just a hammock; it’s a hammock stretched from the owner’s clothing, meaning the dog can appreciate their smell while resting. A "mobile home" for Shibas looks like a stroller at first glance, then you realize its materials are meant to mimic the natural shade of a tree and the carriage has been designed to carry the dog as closely to the ground as possible, allowing its short legs to hop out at will.
Muji's Architecture for Dogs includes Torafu Architects’ Jack Russell hammock made from old clothing converted into a hammock. You can also substitute warmer clothing in the winter (Click Image To Enlarge)
Muji's Architectue for Dogs includes Toyo Ito's 'mobile home' or a 'doghouse for walks' for Shibas (Click Image To Enlarge)
Hara tells Co.Design.
“We chose dogs because it’s a universal topic. Wolves interacted with humans, and it changed the course of their history. Dogs are man-made creatures forced to cohabitate with humans, so architecture for dogs is a reasonable inquiry.”
Muji's Architecture for Dogs includes Shigeru Ban’s structure for Papillons made from used plastic wrap tubes that can transform from a maze to a bed to even a chair or a table for yourself (Click Image To Enlarge)
Muji's Architecture for Dogs include this MVRDV rocker dog house. The rocker bottom allows has less friction with the ground, so it can be dragged by the attached rope (Click Image To Enlarge)
Each design is downloadable as a free blueprint, and next year, the collection will be available in flatpack kit form.
Where exactly the project is headed is still uncertain. Is Architecture for Dogs a purely academic endeavor? Are people meant to actually build these pieces? Is it more a beacon for the pet industry? Is it a beacon for the architecture industry? Could the site possibly serve all these roles? We can’t say, but the overarching lesson is notable:
Dogs are a species made for humans, forced to live in houses also made for humans. With Architecture for Dogs, Hara has assembled a team of elite designers to reconsider the dog’s experience in an otherwise human world. And reconsidering dog-level design, in turn, is a means to allow humans to be more mindful of their own environments.
Muji's Architecture for Dogs includes Kazuyo Sejima’s piece for the Bichon Frise. When they climb inside, the dog completes the structure’s shape (Click Image To Enlarge)
Muji's Architecture for Dogs includes a Aterier Bow-Wow created series of ramps for the Dachshund. It’s a means for the dog to gain elevation without straining its long body (Click Image To Enlarge)
COMMENTARY: From the look of the smiles on these spoiled rotten pooches, I would say that Kenya Hara is on the right track with his Architecture for Dogs. As a lover of dogs, I would certainly buy some of these doggie creations. They are not only beautiful and functional, but could be considered doggie art pieces, that would embellish the home. The dogs certainly appear to love them, so I strongly recommend he begin building those kits. I have a feeling Kenya and the designers will do quite well. The worldwide pet market did over $60 billion in sales in 2011 alone. We're not just talking dog food, collars and leaches, either. Pet owners spend hundreds, and sometimes even thousands of dollars on merchandise for their dogs (and cats, too). Architecture for Dogs shows what can be done to spoil pooches even more.
Courtesy of an article dated November 15, 2012 appearing in Fast Company Design
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