Small-Scale Architecture Gets Adorable with These Houses for Pets

Rebecca Roke included some of the best designed architecture for animals in her new book Nanotecture: Tiny Built Things.

by Eva Recinos

April 23, 2016, 3:00pm

Cat Chalet, Space International, Los Angeles, CA, USA (or elsewhere), 2014. Credit: Joshua White Photography

When writing her book about small-scale architecture, Rebecca Roke researched sheds, pods and other structures that we might associate with tiny living. But she also did her homework on one area that architecture appreciators might forget about: specially-designed homes for animals and pets.

Nanotecture: Tiny Built Things, published by Phaidon, is Roke’s first book and a thorough exploration of small-scale architecture. Roke has written extensively about architecture and also worked as the editor of Australia’s Monument magazine. The author originally researched around 800 different structures and narrowed the list down to 300 selections. Most importantly, the structures needed to be aesthetically interesting, but Roke also took into consideration “their size, their materiality, their location, the construction techniques of the projects.”

This same criteria extended to the pet-focused designs included in the book. The pieces in the book focus on the needs of pets but also on the interaction between these furry companions and their owners.

Nanotecture brings attention to the many possibilities of pet architecture, beyond just your average dog house or cat scratching post. Each piece elevates the basic pet home to another level, creating a modern take on both indoor and outdoor structures for animals.

“The inclusion of pet-focused designs is a category that is often overlooked, and through which recent projects, such as Kenya Hara's Architecture for Dogs, have suggested is a way for regular pet-lovers to can engage with ideas of architecture in a manner that resonates for them,” wrote Roke.

Each photograph comes with an accompanying description written by Roke that shares details about the background and process behind each structure. Included amongst homes intended for humans, these houses meant for animals take their rightful place in the realm of architecture. Not anyone, after all, can build a structure that appeals to both furry felines and their owners.

The D-Tunnel, for example, offers a way for pet owners and dogs to interact in a new way. Designed by Kenya Hara, the structure includes a small set of stairs designed especially for a small dog (Hara’s website shows a little teacup poodle happily using it). Once a dog climbs up the steps, it reaches a small platform that allows it to come face to face with its owner. On his website, Hara explains that the design “equalizes human scale and dog scale.”

This project, among the others included in the book, proves that careful design geared towards pets can result in pieces that are both aesthetically pleasing and functional.

Roke recognizes that great design can apply to a number of situations. Nanotecture also includes outdoor structures meant for animals in the wild. No matter the situation or space, Roke explains, homes designed purposefully for animals can make a difference.

“Well-considered architecture benefits everyone who uses it — from bees, to dogs and cats — to people,” wrote Roke. “Good design is a good investment, no matter the size.”