Foster + Partners and The Barc Dog Kennel at Barkitecture 2023
Last May 20 to 21 at Goodwood in West Sussex, UK, Foster + Partners entered the Goodwoof Barkitecture competition–Britain’s leading kennel design competition. For this year, architects focused on the theme ‘A Companion Piece-Dogs at Work’ which considers the role that dogs play in human lives and how much they contribute to a person’s well-being, particularly in the office.
Entrants had the choice of two options: they could create either a single or double occupancy kennel for dogs wishing to retreat from the office space.
Alongside other leading architects, Foster + Partners presented innovative projects like Foster + Partners’ Barc dog kennel. The Barc dog kennel is made of simple components that can be easily assembled, disassembled, and efficiently stored. As something inherently flexible, the Barc dog kennel is a suitable familiar space for canine companions regardless of whether they’re in the office or at home.
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Norman Foster, Founder and Executive Chairman of Foster + Partners said: “It is a delight to present our design at Goodwoof, for the second year running. We have used a refined palette of materials to create Barc, a flat pack kennel that responds to the ever-evolving nature of the workplace.”
To create with sustainability in mind, Foster + Partners only used a few materials and focused on the idea of doing more with less.
To develop Barc’s high-performance structural shell, Foster + Partners worked closely with Isokon which is a company known for its expertise in plywood manufacturing. With a single piece of extremely thin plywood that’s held in tension by two opposing timber dowels, the kennel is able to display a striking arched roof that’s reminiscent of the usual and more traditional canine houses of older times. A fabric sling is stretched across the dowels and incorporates a sustainable cushion made from coconut husk to create a comfortable and elevated dog bed.
Barkitecture is an architecture competition that pursues the finest and most innovative 21st-century ideas for kennels. In this competition, architects are able to explore the relationship between humanity’s canine friends and their physical environment alongside kennel technology, animal welfare, and sustainability. Each kennel made by the architects were displayed at the Barkitecture Gallery at Goodwoof with all of them being auctioned last May 21st by Bonham’s–Goodwoof’s official auction partner. All the funds raised from this competition will also go towards the work of Pets as Therapy, Goodwoof’s 2023 charity partner.
Pets are a part of the family, they always have been. It’s just that people have fully embraced this idea only now and are doing the right things to accommodate people’s fur babies well.
