dog haus competition

oakland, california

The dog haus competition idea is to learn about the architecture of Mies van der Rohe and Alvar Aalto, two modern masters of architecture. Also, to have fun with the idea of the word master by pairing the “master” architects as “masters” of dogs that seem to be similar in some way - after all, owners look like their dogs. Mies is paired with a Great Dane and the portion of the dog haus for the Dane is modeled after Mies’ Farnsworth House while the shepherd that is mad about sticks is paired with Alvar and her haus is modeled after Aalto’s Villa Mairea. Materials, forms, and dimensions are replicated in different ways to illustrate ideas found in the actual buildings. These structures were exhibited in the Oakland Art Museum and sold at auction to benefit the East Bay SPCA.