Barkitex Studio

The double goal of using salvaged materials from Downtown Bryan while also making the doghouse adaptable to a variety of sites led to the “Puzzle Box” design.

Mounted on castors to aide mobility, the structure’s fixed portion provides a sturdy frame for twelve modular panels. Each of these panels fits into any of the twenty-six slots, resulting in myriad possible combinations ranging from an enclosed box for transportation to an entirely open pavilion when all panels are placed in their horizontal shading/storage positions. This flexibility answers the challenge of designing for undetermined sites and allows adaptation to future changes in location. By reconfiguring panel combinations, the owners can tailor the doghouse to provide the best mix of sun, shade, and air movement for comfort in that time and place.

With generous donations from Downtown Bryan businesses and building owners, we constructed the doghouse almost entirely from salvaged materials. The doghouse features materials from the Queen Theatre, Bowie School, Astin Building, Howell Building, Charles Hotel, and even our own office: the Tremont Building. To unify the vastly different materials and allow us to showcase a greater variety, we designed modular panels with identical frames and a coordinating color scheme.