dog box

project team:
Erin Sterling Lewis, AIA
Matt Luck
Sarah Dickerson
Joel Horne
Colleen Simon
Frank Harmon, FAIA
lanscape architect
Judy Harmon, ASLA
donors:
Capitol City Lumber
BuildSense Inc.
Auman Works
Ballard Construction
Consider Design
Habitat for Humanity
Logan's Trading Company

problem statement

The Triangle Beagle Rescue of North Carolina held a fundraiser, entitled “Animal House 2005.” They asked area architects and designers to create dog houses that would be sold at auction. We couldn’t refuse the challenge!

our design response

We believe that every building and every site should as individual as its client – even if that client is a dog. And since sustainable design is an imperative at Frank Harmon Architect, we created a “green” dog house -- dubbed the “Dog Box” -- that demonstrates how the principles of green, or sustainable, architecture can be applied to any built structure – even a dog house. The Dog Box’s sustainable features include: (1) a vegetated roof that collects rainwater for the occupant to drink, insulates and cools the roof, eliminates thermal hot spots, provides oxygen, and makes for an attractive roof; (2) a photovoltaic panel that collects the sun’s energy and turns it into electricity to power an exhaust fan inside the dog box; (3) reused and recycled building materials; and (4) a polygal window that brings daylight into the Dog Box and is positioned to maximize cross ventilation and the availability of fresh air.

The result: an environmentally responsible doghouse that fetched $525 at auction.