- Goodwoof announces shortlist of 17 kennels for Barkitecture kennel design competition.
- World-renowned architects tasked with designing a cosmic kennel.
- British astronaut Tim Peake CMG joins judging panel.
- Bonhams will auction the kennels to raise money for Battersea Dogs & Cats Home.
- Goodwoof takes place Saturday 16 and Sunday 17 May.
- Early bird tickets are available at goodwood.com
Goodwoof has revealed the shortlist for its 2026 Barkitecture kennel design competition. 17 architects and artists from around the world have responded to this year’s brief, which takes a playful leap into the cosmos, challenging designers to create kennels on the theme Dogs in Space, pushing creativity and imagination into a new orbit. All the kennels will be auctioned at Goodwoof, raising funds for Battersea Dogs & Cats Home.
This year’s shortlist brings together a wonderful array of architectural and design studios, including 10 new entrants. The 2026 lineup includes: Sebastian Conran & Beta Design Office, Daniel Arsham, George + James Architects, Grimshaw, Hall + Bednarczyk, HPW Architecture Ltd, Kit Kemp Design Studio Minnie Kemp & Henry Neville Wood, Lord David Snowdon & The King’s Foundation, Morag Myerscough, Luke Morgan & Elvis, Paul Archer Design, Polysmiths, Randell Design Group, RSHP, Simon Allford/AHMM, Hopkins, and Six Dots Design.
Dogs in Space has fired the imaginations of all entrants, with a series of spectacular concepts shortlisted. Goodwoof is delighted to have received entrants from returning competitors Conran + Partners and George + James Architects. Joseph Ellwood from Six Dots Design first competed in 2022 with a student entry and will now enter the 2026 Barkitecture Kennel competition with an exciting concept named ‘A Dog in Disguise’.
All entrants will be hoping to get their paws on the much-coveted Kennel Design Award, which was claimed last year by Lord David Snowdon and Matthew Rice with Scott Simpson from The King’s Foundation for their creation ‘Snowdon Dog House’. Kevin McCloud MBE will once again lead the judging panel, which this year will be joined by British astronaut Tim Peake. Visitors to Goodwoof can vote for the People & Paws Award across the weekend.
Since launching in 2022, the Barkitecture auction has generated over £62,000 in charitable donations, supporting animal‑welfare organisations. This year, the kennels showcased at Goodwoof will go under the hammer in an auction hosted by Bonhams on Sunday 17 May. All proceeds will support this year’s charity, Battersea Dogs & Cats Home, whose mission extends far beyond rehoming. Battersea provides expert training and behavioural guidance, shares specialist knowledge, offers grant funding to rescue partners worldwide, and campaigns for meaningful change - ensuring animals in need receive care, protection and the chance to find a forever home.
Judging this year’s competition is former European Space Agency astronaut Tim Peake CMG, who said: “I’m delighted to have been asked to judge this year’s Barkitecture competition. I’m really looking forward to seeing how the architects embrace the theme and weave a sense of cosmic adventure into their designs. Space exploration has always been about partnership, trust and companionship - qualities we share with our dogs every day. I can’t wait to see how that unique bond inspires these out‑of‑this‑world kennels.”
As anticipation builds for this year’s event, Goodwoof looks forward to celebrating the creativity of the participating designers and, most importantly, raising vital funds for a charity whose work transforms the lives of animals across the UK and beyond.
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2026 Concept Designs
Sebastian Conran & Beta Design Office
Founded in 1980, the award‑winning architecture and interior design studio Conran + Partners returns for a fourth consecutive year with ‘The Moon Dog’. This visionary concept features a geodesic, cell‑based structure, engineered to withstand the extreme conditions of Mars while remaining compact and lightweight enough for efficient spacecraft stowage.
Daniel Arsham
George + James Architects
Returning for their fourth year, George + James present ‘ArchinautX’, a concept blending imaginative storytelling with refined craftsmanship. Inspired by the rocket from Wallace & Gromit: A Grand Day Out and the retro‑futurist flair of Despicable Me, the design pairs a theatrical, space‑bound exterior with a calm, Scandinavian‑inspired interior.
Grimshaw
Grimshaw returns with ‘Dog Space Shelter 06’, a high‑tech, canine‑centred shelter designed for life beyond Earth. Using components from the modular system developed for the Mabeg headquarters in Germany, DSS06 reflects the studio’s hallmark precision, accessibility and innovation.
Hall + Bednarczyk
Hall + Bednarczyk present ‘Kubrick’s Bone’, a playful nod to 2001: A Space Odyssey. A cosy bed anchors the design, while suspended bone‑shaped elements float above like a mobile, creating the illusion of zero gravity as dogs rest comfortably on solid ground.
Hopkins Architects
Further details of their concept will be revealed soon.
HPW Architecture Ltd
Making their Barkitecture debut, HPW Architecture Ltd introduces ‘Star Paws Sleeping Module ’. Constructed from upcycled materials, the design reflects the studio’s commitment to sustainability and purposeful reuse.
Kit Kemp Design Studio Minnie Kemp & Henry Neville Wood
Kit Kemp Design Studio makes its first Barkitecture appearance with ‘The Legend of Diego, Astro Dog’, a two‑metre‑tall wooden sculpture crafted by master artisans. Celebrating imagination and craftsmanship, the structure offers sanctuary for canine explorers.
Lord David Snowdon & The King’s Foundation
Further details of their concept will be revealed soon.
Morag Myerscough, Luke Morgan & Elvis
Morag Myerscough debuts at Barkitecture with ‘The Adventurer’, a vibrant, playful space‑pod concept inspired by childhood cardboard spaceships. Bursting with colour and pattern, it reflects her signature approach to transforming environments through bold visual language.
Paul Archer Design
Paul Archer Design presents ‘K‑9 Cave’, a concept inspired by the idea of a “primitive future.” Combining early architectural traditions with imagined extraterrestrial living.
Polysmiths
Polysmiths introduces ‘The Pluto Pod’, a lightweight cosmic capsule made from 3D‑printed basalt‑reinforced PLA with rugged, stepped geometry for meteor protection. Inside, 140 recycled tennis balls - hand‑cut, foam‑filled and dyed in Goodwoof Orange - create a tactile, scent‑rich nest, created with the help of Fab.Pub.
Randell Design Group
Randell Design Group returns with ‘The PAWdyssey’, a modular pod that adapts to the size of its canine traveller. The enclosed space offers security and sanctuary, while the base serves as a docking station stocked with food, water and toys for the journey ahead.
RSHP
RSHP presents ‘The Anti‑Gravity Lounger’, a deployable structure exploring suspension as a state of calm. Lightweight, collapsible and built from everyday components, it reflects an approach guided by purpose over excess - a celebration of gravity, balance and tranquillity.
Simon Allford/AHMM
Award winning architects, Simon Allford/AHMM will make their first appearance at this year’s Barkitecture competition with 'Dogs in Space – 2051: A Space Odyssey – for dogs'. The practice’s philosophy is that great architecture should be memorable, informed by the past, serving the present and generous enough to accommodate an unknown future, fitting for this year’s Dogs in Space theme. Taking inspiration from Kubrick’s 2001 film A Space Odyssey, Simon Allford/AHMM have created a kennel concept that takes notes from Laugier’s primitive huts, bringing memories of space travel into the home.
Six Dots Design
Six Dots Design returns with ‘A Dog in Disguise’, imagining how a canine space traveller might blend in on an unfamiliar planet. The kennel takes the form of an alien‑dog companion that opens for lounging or closes to provide a protective cloak of disguise.
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