Architecture's Animal History: From Pigeon Towers to Model Farms
A feature on designboom delves into the impact of animals on architecture throughout history, positing that modern multispecies design is a revival of earlier practices. In Isfahan, Safavid Iran, pigeon towers (kabootar khaneh) were utilized for housing pigeons to collect fertilizer. Japan's gasshō-zukuri farmhouses combined silkworm cultivation with warmth from fires. In Istanbul, Ottoman birdhouses (kuş evleri) showcased a religious commitment to animal welfare. Chabutros in Ahmedabad catered to wild birds, reflecting Jain ahiṃsā values. French dovecotes (colombiers), such as the Manoir d'Ango and Château de Chantilly (1719–1735), represented authority. The 19th-century British Model Farm movement established standards for animal housing. The article concludes by emphasizing that today’s multispecies architecture revisits historical connections, prompting ethical considerations in habitat design for other species.
Key facts
- Pigeon towers in Safavid Iran housed pigeons for fertilizer and saltpeter collection.
- Gasshō-zukuri farmhouses in Shirakawa-gō and Gokayama integrated silkworm farming with domestic heating.
- Ottoman birdhouses (kuş evleri) were built into public buildings in Istanbul for religious and charitable reasons.
- Chabutros in Ahmedabad and Gujarat provide elevated feeding structures for wild birds, linked to Jain ahiṃsā.
- French colombiers were tied to seigneurial power and the droit de colombier.
- The Grandes Écuries at Château de Chantilly, designed by Jean Aubert (1719–1735), housed horses in a palace-like setting.
- The British Model Farm movement, influenced by John Claudius Loudon, standardized animal housing for efficiency.
- The article argues that multispecies architecture is a rediscovery of an older condition.
- The article is part of designboom's MODES OF HABITATION chapter.
- The article was published on designboom on August 2026 (based on image date).
Entities
Artists
- Jean Aubert
- Louis-Henri de Bourbon
- John Claudius Loudon
Institutions
- designboom
Locations
- Isfahan
- Iran
- Shirakawa-gō
- Japan
- Gokayama
- Istanbul
- Turkey
- Ahmedabad
- India
- Gujarat
- France
- Normandy
- Chantilly