As much as I love spending time with my own cats, I’m honestly running out of ways to keep them entertained and prevent them from knocking down an item or two in my home, out of sheer boredom. If you’re pretty much in the same precarious situation as me and are always looking for new ways to keep your pet entertained, productive, and happy, then you should consider having a look at the Barc kennel. British architecture studio Foster + Partners collaborated with plywood manufacturer Isokon to create the Barc kennel for Goodwoof’s annual Barkitecture competition.
Designer: Foster + Partners and Isokon
Foster + Partners and Isokon teamed up to create this flat-pack dog kennel called Barc. The bed features an arched canopy that was built from a thin and flexible sheet of plywood. The sheet of plywood is one of the kennel’s self-assembly components that can be put together and taken apart for easy storage. The kennel was built for the 2023 Barkitecture competition which is run by Goodwoof. Goodwoof challenged designers and architects to consider and look into the positive effect that dogs have on people, especially in workplace environments.
“It is a delight to present our design at Goodwoof, for the second year running,” said Norman Foster. “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.” A pair of dowels form the base of the kennel, into which the canopy is secured. The bent plywood section is fixed in place by a pair of dowels affixed widthways. They also support a fabric sling enclosing a cushioned pad made from coconut husks. Four wooden screws hold the dowels in place.
The bed has been built from environmentally friendly materials and has been designed to be easily assembled and disassembled. “The sparing use of material and detail is rooted in the idea of sustainability – to do more with less,” said Foster + Partners. “Our design can be easily scaled up to accommodate larger breeds. Barc will come in three sizes – small, medium, and large – so it can be home to a variety of different dogs.” Foster + Partners concluded.
