April 22, 2022
The K-Town Kennel, designed and built by Jeremiah Corbett and Rachel Smith, earned the People’s Choice Award at Barkitecture, an American Institute of Architects East Tennessee Chapter fundraiser for Young-Williams Animal Center, a Johnson Architecture client.
The shelter, the official intake center for the City of Knoxville and Knox County, cares for more than 10,000 animals annually. Barkitecture participants built a doghouse or a cat tree to be the “CATegory champions and raise some DOGgone money” for Young-Williams Animal Center.
The structures had to be able to fit whole or for assembly through a standard 34-inch door and delivered to the contest display site. Voting took place online, and the structures also were available for purchase. The contest placed an emphasis on building material being sustainable or reclaimed to keep it out of a landfill.
Johnson Architecture’s doghouse represents the maker city of Knoxville. The minimal design with sustainable materials had two simple profiles and 16 dowels, so it could easily be reproduced for a multiple dog household. A simple blanket placed over the house provides shade for the pup, and the modular rods let the pet owner limit the amount of light going into the dog’s space. The dog tenant can lounge in comfort with the option to watch the surroundings or snooze in a draped house without disruption.
