Architecture Beyond the Human: Designing for Stray Cities

Ananya Nayak's article, published on June 15, 2026, argues that architecture has historically prioritized human occupants while ignoring the millions of animals that share urban spaces. In India alone, over 17 million free-ranging dogs navigate streets, markets, and buildings, adapting to human routines. Historic structures like Iranian pigeon towers (Kabootar Khaneh) and Ottoman bird houses integrated animal habitats into architectural design, but modern sealed façades and controlled landscapes reduce opportunities for non-human occupation. The article highlights the Indian Institute of Science campus in Bengaluru as an ecological refuge, where spatial continuity supports biodiversity. Emerging strategies such as habitat-integrated façades, native planting, and wildlife crossings aim to embed coexistence into design. The piece concludes that urban life has always been multispecies, and architecture must recognize existing animal participation rather than invent new forms.