The Cloud is architecture that travels with the dog, a second skin that communicates the uniqueness of any given Chihuahua’s body and temperament.  The puffed, bespoke skin of the Cloud translates the movement, speed, and personality of the Chihuahua into a pattern of undulations. As the mediating link between pet and owner, the leash is treated with the importance of a joint within the dog’s body.  At this connection between dog and human, the Cloud tracks give and pull while converting the relationship to a visible pattern on the skin. Designed to suit the specific needs of this feisty breed, the Cloud creates a climatic buffer to shield the dog from cold, and provides protection for the general weakness of the dog’s bones—including the soft spots around the skull (moleras) and the sensitive area near the eyes. The billowing volume of the Cloud also responds to the Chihuahua’s love of burrowing and playing “hide and seek.”  In the Cloud the dog is warm, protected, and secure. Furthermore, the Cloud serves as a veil that neutralizes preconceptions about the size of  Chihuahuas.  The illusion of larger mass is befitting of the Chihuahua’s big personality. Via the skin, owners and other dogs are reminded to  properly interact with the Chihuahua, rather than merely babying the dog. By refocusing attention from the dog’s size to its more salient traits of bravery and courageousness, the Cloud generates mystery; the Chihuahua’s new, artificial skin becomes a projection of its psyche. For the DIY enthusiast, the intricate process of crafting the Cloud creates an opportunity for the owner to make something special for their pet, thereby strengthening their relationship. As an easily customizable unit, the Cloud serves as a canvas to showcase the personalities of pet and owner through the selection of fabric color, pattern, and embellishment. 
 

RUR Architecture PC is an internationally recognized multidisciplinary architectural design firm that has built projects in a wide range of scales: from furniture to residential and commercial structures, up to landscape, urban, and infrastructure design. The firm provides a full scope of involvement with the association of architecture, structure and landscape and approaches each project as the continuation of an ongoing inquiry, delving into relationships among architecture, territory and distribution systems.  By working on projects of varying scales, the firm has developed flexible strategies and techniques that integrate historically separate domains.

Taipei Pop Music Center,Taiwan (completion 2015) | 0-14 Tower Dubai,UAE (2011) │ Kaohsiung Port Terminal,Taiwan (completion 2014)

SIZE W400 x D220 x H300
DIFFICULTY DIFFICULT
FAB. TIME 15 DAYS