As a dog owner, I am constantly on the lookout for dog products that aren’t your run-of-the-mill, ‘bought it at PetsMart’ variety. Sadly, very few products actually exist for dog owners that reflect rock-solid design ideals (and no, I don’t need a Gucci dog collar). For those looking to step outside of the realm of traditional dog products (and an excuse for another weekend project), Architecture for Dogs is the open source doghouse and dog accessory collaborative spearheaded by Japanese architects that just might make you jealous of young Fido’s dwellings.

Free and Easy-to-Follow Build Plans

Founded by a group of architects and designers, Architects for Dogs is a collection of 13 unique designs that feature everything from an interactive dog house to a step-up tunnel that enables small dogs to join the conversations of their ‘slightly-taller’ human handlers. Perhaps what’s most appealing about Architecture for Dogs is that each design has a backstory about the designer and their own dog, with a video description of the design and of course, the downloadable PDF blueprints:

“Dogs are people’s partners, living right beside them, but they are also animals that humans, through crossbreeding, have created in multitudes of breeds. Reexamining these close partners with fresh eyes may be a chance to reexamine both human beings themselves and the natural environment. As our first project, we present 13 pieces of architecture. Please take the time to carefully examine the details of these elaborately designed ingenious structures, and because it’s free to download the blueprints, if you find one you like, make it yourself for your dog.”

Currently, the collection is being shown in Tokyo at the Toto Gallery-MA with an open-collaboration call for designers and architects to add to their collection. Find out more and download free blueprints over at Architecture for Dogs.

(Images via Architecture for Dogs)