RSHP

Dog Pod designed for Goodwoof Barkitecture in aid of Dogs Trust

27 May 2022

Dog Pod by Rogers Stirk Harbour + Partners and Mark Gorton

On Sunday 29 May RSHP's kennel, Dog Pod, designed for Goodwoof at Goodwood will be presented in the Barkitecture exhibition and auctioned    by Bonhams    to raise money for the charity, Dogs Trust.

Giving to charity is very close to our hearts at RSHP as our practice is also owned by a charity, therefore designing a prototype dog kennel to be auctioned at Goodwoof for Dogs Trust was a prime motivation for getting involved. The event also offered RSHP the perfect opportunity to apply some of the practice's wider R&D and key principles on a much smaller scale than typical RSHP projects.

Dog Pod is designed as a prototype modular kennel inspired by RSHP’s small-scale modular projects. The design has an extruded hexagonal profile, and if put into production, enables each modular unit to be easily scaled-up to suit larger dogs, interconnected to create super-sized kennels, or stacked vertically to offer honeycomb-like pods for dog homes.

Dog Pod’s bold space-age look - influenced by the designer’s son’s love for Star Wars - offers style and comfort to its canine resident. Adjustable lunar landing pad feet enable the unit to be raised off the ground during colder weather whilst allowing better air circulation and cooling on warmer days.

As with any RSHP project, structural legibility is a strong aesthetic, and with Dog Pod, the main marine ply frame is exposed to show how the kennel is constructed and supported.

The kennel’s hexagonal entrance door, when lowered, transforms into a starship-style boarding ramp, and space-age air vents to the rear maximize through-ventilation of the unit. An aluminium canopy sits atop Dog Pod, creating a cavity just above the main timber frame and casing, allowing solar gain heat to dissipate. This futuristic orange canopy is adjustable and slides forward to create a shaded alfresco dining area or a relaxation zone for doggie wellbeing.