Animal Building Alliance, Cat House
For a long time, we have regarded human beings as objects of architectural service and designed everything according to the scale of the human body. But with the rise of environmental concepts, designers and architects have set their sights on animals. Today, Harper's Bazaar Takes You to see the "architecture" that serves the animals.
1 Shen Wenjiao, creative cat nest
On November 10, designer Shen Wenjiao passed away, and his works exploded on the Internet for a while. In addition to the coat rack "made of six sticks", the cat nest he designed also attracted attention.
Shen Wenjiao, "Felt Bag Cat House", 2019
Shen Wenjiao himself is a cat slave who keeps several cats in his PIY studio and often posts their beautiful photos online. "Felt Felt Bag Cat House" combines traditional wood art and felt cloth, wraps the cat with soft felt cloth, increases the deep touch pressure on the cat, and aims to solve the problem of cat insomnia.
Shen Wenjiao, "Lotus Leaf Type Weaving Cat's Nest", 2019
Inspired by lotus leaves, this cat's nest is hand-knitted from Icelandic wool that textures close to cat's hair, and can be laid flat to let the cat roll on it. At the same time, as long as the edge of the lotus leaf is lifted with both hands, it will be transformed into a walking cat nest, so that the owner can go wherever it goes.
2 Bertello Leiberkin, Penguin Pond
Berthold Lubetkin was a pioneer of the British modernist movement and designed buildings for zoos many times in his lifetime, the most famous of which was the penguin pond for London Zoo.
Bertello Leiberkin, Penguin Pond, 1935
The huge oval blue pool provides a swimming area for the penguins, the surrounding white concrete effectively shields the sun, the curved walls temper the penguin calls, and the double-rotating ramp adapts to the penguins' "clumsy" walking style while creating a formal beauty. Bertello's penguin pond not only creates a livable environment for penguins, but also provides more possibilities for viewers to see.
3 Forster+Partners, Elephant House
Located at Copenhagen Zoo in Denmark, Foster Partners' Elephant House combines the needs of elephants with the aquarium's ornamental function.
Forster+Partners' Elephant House for Copenhagen Zoo
The Elephant House is covered by lightweight glass, which introduces daylight to the elephants and provides a viewing platform for the public. The wide space allows the elephants to rest together as if they were in the wild, the heated ground keeps their feet dry and healthy, and a dry riverbed is artificially built indoors, which is a favorite haunt of Asian elephants found during field expeditions.
4 Banff National Park, Canada, Animal Bridge
In Banff National Park, where wildlife is infested, animal collisions and accidents have become more frequent with the popularity of cars, and to solve this problem, the Park Authority has tried to build two "animal overpasses" on Banff's roads.
Animal Overpass, Banff National Park, Canada
The effect was remarkable, with animal footprints on the bridge before the concrete had dried. In order to guide more wildlife to use the overpass to cross the road, the Park Authority has decorated it with a large amount of vegetation. It is worth mentioning that the effective scheme of "animal flyovers" has been adopted by more and more countries.
5 70F Architecture, Almere Farm
70F Architecture, Almere Farm
In early 2005, the Government of Almere in the Netherlands commissioned 70F Architecture to renovate the city's farms. The upper part of the farm building is a semi-open wooden box, which facilitates indoor ventilation and thus ensures the health of the animals.
There are six shutters around the building, which use the principle of light sensitivity to automatically open and close at sunrise and sunset. During the day, open shutters bring in plenty of sunlight to the animals, while at night, the closed windows can eliminate the interference of outdoor light sources, allowing the animals to enjoy a more peaceful sleep.
6
Cedric Stone&Frank Newby,Snowdon鸟舍
In the last century, most zoos used "cage-rearing" buildings, which greatly limited the range of birds. The Snowdon Aviary breaks through this traditional architectural structure by creating a free, airy space with lightweight aluminium brackets. This not only expands the range of birds, but also shortens the viewing distance of tourists. When the aviary opened to the public in 1962, it became the first aviary in the UK to allow viewers to be immersed in bird habitat.
Cedric Stone & Frank Newby, Snowdon Aviary at London Zoo
7
Kresings Architektur, Ehrlingen Petting Zoo
The German Gerhelingen Petting Zoo is built on the lake, surrounded by extensive vegetation and a beautiful natural environment. The designer took the veterinarian's advice and chose larch wood as the main building material. The material meets the requirements of sustainability, and the unprocessed wood ensures that the animals are not at risk of poisoning.
In addition, the designers work closely with veterinarians in the design of the building's interior and exterior structures, lighting and ventilation, etc., and strive to create a space that is in line with the animal's living habits.
8 Ruan Hao, cat table
The wind of cat ownership has become stronger and stronger in recent years, and all cat slaves are eager to provide a comfortable living environment and interesting entertainment places for their children. In addition to Shen Wenjiao's cat nest, there are many "buildings" designed for cats that are worth seeing.
Ruan Hao, Cat Table, 2014
Designer Ruan Hao believes that cats are extremely curious animals, and when they are faced with only one large hole, they will always go back and forth in it and enjoy it. Based on this feature, he designed this cat table to provide a shared space for cats.
The cat table is a practical table for us and a playground for cats. The rosewood table top is cut into smooth passages of different shapes and sizes so that cats can explore paths, travel freely, and interact with their owners sitting at the table.
9 Union of Animal Architects, Cat House
Animal Architects Alliance "Cat House"
The Architects For Animals is a nonprofit organization that provides shelter for stray animals, often contacting design firms or independent designers to work and donate their work to animal organizations in need.
In 2017, they invited a number of designers and architects in Los Angeles to complete 13 "cat homes" for stray cats, with the intention of providing assistance and raising awareness of stray cats. These cat nests have different shapes and materials, but they all grasp the "pain points" of cat owners - balls of yarn, narrow pipes, staggered climbing frames...
Animal Architects Alliance "Cat House"
Animal Architects Alliance "Cat House"
The works were eventually auctioned off, and the proceeds were donated to FixNation, Los Angeles, a nonprofit dedicated to the rescue of stray cats.
10 Hara Kenya, a dog building
Kenya Hara "Dog Building"
In 2011, Kenya Hara launched the "Dog's Architecture" theme exhibition, inviting 13 architects, designers, or design firms, including Kengo Kuma, Toyo Ito, MVRDV, kazuyo Sejima, and others, to design a residence for dogs. Each designer is assigned to a different breed of dog, and they need to observe the dog for a period of time and make a "custom design" according to its living habits and personality characteristics.
Hara's D-Tunnel artwork for the teacup poodle
Hara has tailored a series of works for the teacup poodle, including steps, platforms, and chairs. He's trying to tell people that what seems like human-specific furniture can actually serve dogs.
Torafu Architects designed the residence for the Jack Ruther Terrier
Torafu Architects observed that the owner's scent would relax the puppy, so they put old clothes on a wooden frame and made a reassuring hammock. Dachshunds have short legs and a longer torso, and large jumps can easily injure their backs. The Canine Bark Studio designed gentle slopes for their dwellings to protect their bodies.
The Canine BarkIng Studio is a staircase dwelling designed for short-haired dachshunds
Kenya Hara pointed out: "The meaning of 'dog architecture' is not just to design buildings for 'pets', but to hope that people will rethink the world around them from the perspective of pet dogs." ”
RUR Architects designed a carry-on kennel for Chihuahuas
In fact, the above works are not just to design a zoo or a cat nest, kennel, designers observe and record the way of life of animals, discover the needs and interests of animals, reflect on the current society designed according to the human scale, and strive to create a truly appropriate living space for them, so as to promote the connotation of the concept of equality and harmony between humans and animals.
The original design association designed a lampshade nest for Japanese terriers
Hara hopes that the "dog's architecture" will cause people to think, if our living environment is designed according to the scale of the dog, what will it be like? And how do animals feel to live in the current human-scale environment?
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[Editor, text/Han Han]
[This article was originally produced by Harper's Bazaar Art Department and may not be reproduced without permission]