Energy Efficient Dog Haven
Accompanying this year’s 2017 Solar Decathlon was the Sustainable BARKitecture Dog House Competition, a challenge to local Denver architecture firms to design and build the ideal solar dog house.
The homes were built for a specific Canine Airport Therapy Dog and were on display at the Denver International Airport through Oct. 9th, 2017. The homes were sold in an online auction to benefit the Dumb Friends League.
SUSTAINABILITY INNOVATION:
Samson’s Home is an energy efficient haven. On hot summer days Samson will have great ventilation with slatted assemblies on two sides of his dog house to let a nice breeze come through. The solar panel powers an interior light for Samson to keep guard against squirrels during the night. The angle of the roof is designed to optimize solar energy absorbed by the sun. On the interior, Samson will lounge on a cushy bed made of recycled polymers, while the flooring adds additional comfort as it is a soft but durable recycled rubber material that is easy to clean.INSPIRED BY:
DEN Canine Airport Therapy Squad dog, Samson, an apple-eating golden retriever whose pet peeve is squirrels.
DESIGN CONCEPT:
To create a sustainable haven that provides Samson with comfort and rejuvenates his five senses after a good day’s work of greeting DEN travelers.
Architecture Firm: Burkett EUA https://www.burketteua.com
Learn more about the Canine Airport Therapy Squad.