Barkitecture is a highlight of the annual Goodwoof festival at the Goodwood Estate.
The event brings together some of the UK’s most prestigious practices to design imaginative, beautifully crafted spaces for dogs. For us, it is a platform to explore serious architectural ideas through playful design, creating objects that celebrate companionship while raising funds for Goodwoof’s chosen charity through the Bonhams auction.Blending serious architectural thinking with playfulness and purpose, the competition celebrates innovation, craft and the bond between humans, animals and the environments they share. In 2025, our latest Barkitecture project was awarded the People’s Choice Award, recognising both public affection and the enduring appeal of thoughtful, characterful design.
Our relationship with Barkitecture has grown year on year. What began as a playful challenge outside our usual residential work has become a vital testing ground for the studio. In 2025, our latest entry, A Whippet in Sheep’s Clothing, was awarded the People’s Choice Award, recognising both public affection and the enduring appeal of thoughtful, characterful design. We are proud that our entries are not just exhibition pieces; they continue to be used and enjoyed long after the event.
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Type
Furniture
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Scope
Innovation
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Location
West Sussex
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Client
Goodwood Estate
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Completion
2023-2025
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Services
Design Compeition
Our Entries
The Agility Desk Our first Barkitecture entry reimagined the workplace through the lens of shared human and canine wellbeing. Designed during a time when dogs became a constant presence in working life, the Agility Desk is a dual-function piece that allows people to work while dogs play, rest, and stay close. Combining a practical desk with an integrated agility course, it explored how design can encourage interaction, reduce stress, and support healthier working environments for all.
Archi’s Travel Trunk Created for the theme Lounge Access: For the Jet Setting Dog, this project focused on the rituals of travel. We wanted to create a sense of calm and familiarity for a dog on the move. The design reimagines the classic travel trunk as a portable sanctuary—bringing together storage, comfort, and the “scent of home” in a single, beautifully crafted object. It reflects our wider interest in how thoughtful design can reduce anxiety and ground us in new environments.
A Whippet in Sheep’s Clothing (2025) Winner: People’s Choice Award Inspired by the rural landscape surrounding our studio and the calm nature of our studio dog, Archi, this kennel combines sculptural form with pastoral softness. Taking the abstract form of a grazing sheep, it allows Archi to quietly blend into his surroundings. Crafted from curved plywood and lined with locally sourced sheepskins, it is a piece of modern design rooted in the texture of the South Downs.
We treat these projects with the same level of rigour as a full-scale home. For us, architecture is always about how a being, human or canine, occupies a space. Whether we are designing a country estate or a travel trunk for a whippet, the questions are the same: How does it feel? How does it sit in it’s context? And does it bring joy?”
Simon and Darren
Designing Thoughtful Architecture for Dogs and Their Humans
We love the energy that flows through the studio when the brief comes in for Goodwoof. These projects allow us to explore themes that sit at the heart of our practice, wellbeing, materiality, and narrative, distilled into their purest form. It is a reminder that good design, at any scale, has the power to improve daily life.
From the smallest detail to the grandest plan.
We bring the same creativity, care, and obsession with detail to our residential projects as we do to our Barkitecture entries. If you are planning a home for your family (and your dog), we’d love to hear from you.
Similar Projects
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Herefordshire Farmhouse
A new, enduring family home, rising from the ashes of a historic fruit farm.
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The Farmhouse
A calm, timeless home that feels perfectly settled deep within the South Downs National Park.
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The Grove
Respecting History, Creating Modern Comfort
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Piddington, Northamptonshire
A landscape-led extension to Piddington village.