Today, many dogs live indoors, their lives interwoven with that of their family. We live harmoniously with our dogs under one roof. There is no such a thing as architecture for dogs; dogs live in people's architecture. They are governed by their owner's choices. With the challenge to design architecture for dogs, we decided to give the animal a space of its own. MVRDV responded to the assignment literally proposing the reinterpretation and updating of the iconic doghouse that even Snoopy, Charlie Brown’s pet beagle, has called home.

Beagles are known to be intelligent and good-natured dogs that interact well with children. Our design strives to create a challenging and playful environment that beagles would enjoy. The curved shape invites the dog to enter the house, stimulates play and offers a comfortable and quiet space. Every time the dog enters or exits, the house answers with a subtle motion. The rounded bottom touches ground gently with little friction. The rope attached to the house makes it easy to move for both dog and owner, and humans can easily carry it due to its wedge shape. The interaction with humans is made more obvious since the curved lines reach up to the human eye level. The boisterous and active Beagle has inspired us to design a simple, strong and playful object.

Locations : Design Miami 2012, Florida, United States, TOTO Gallery, Tokyo Japan, Long Beach Museum of Art, California, United States.

Visit the Architecture for Dogs website here, and click here to download the blueprint for Beagle House.