Animal Architecture. Part 1

As an animal lover, I would love to see more done to protect animal ecosystems around the planet. In this week’s blog, I focus on the benefits of being an animal owner, why they are an essential part of my life and how I’m doing what I can to help street dogs in Turkey. I talk about my experience of rescuing dogs and think about what could be done to create more happy stories in the future not just for dogs but for all of the animal kingdom, and whether architecture has a role to play in making that happen.

I remember watching a documentary a number of years ago about the invasion of Carp (Silver Carp in particular) into freshwater systems in the Upper Midwest and Great Lakes region of the US. The invasive species were imported in the 1970s by Asia fish farmers in the Mississippi River basin. Record floods allowed the fish to travel and infiltrate the Mississippi itself and from there onwards to Chicago River and the Great Lakes system. In the last two decades, the explosion of Silver Carp has even made it onto the agenda at Congress, such is the scale of the issue. As a non-native species the ecological impact has been dramatic and many other species are declining as a result.

Sources: Metro Times: Reprinted from The Death and Life of the Great Lakes by Dan Egan. Copyright 2017 by Dan Egan. With permission of the publisher, W. W. Norton & Co., Inc. All rights reserved

Earth Institute, Columbia University: Map data from USGS

The documentary I watched simplified the problem through one simple line, explaining that ‘human ecological damage has altered conditions faster than the rate of evolution, meaning the overwhelming majority of species are unable to adapt in time and are declining as a result.’ It is a thoroughly unpleasant reality but one that stems from human desire to utilise every last resource on our planet without proper and complete consideration for the other inhabitants of our shared planet.

In the last decade people have made a conscious effort to change their impact on the planet. People are beginning to choose electric over petroleum, paper over plastic and avocados instead of beef. In an age where Greta Thunberg is embraced, governments are enforcing tougher restrictions on emissions and pollution. And whilst all of this is encouraging for the future of the planet, I still believe more could be done in both the immediate and long term future to help safeguard animals from our influence.

Without wanting to tackle an issue as large as plastic pollution and the impact microplastics are having on the global food chain, I thought examining the way we treat our closest allied species would be a much more manageable starting point and one where I can at least share some positive insight.

My Animal Family

My family has 5 pets, 3 dogs and 2 cats and all of them are rescues. Whilst it takes up a lot of our time to look after all of them, they really are part of our family and we love having them around (mostly!). Our cats are now nearly 7 years old and we have had them both from kittens aged 4 weeks when they were found abandoned on the farm next door.

Our dogs are an essential part of my life. While they have been trained to behave as domestic pets, I get a thrill when I see them out and about on their walks on in the garden behaving like wild animals. As pets, they have greatly influenced and enhanced my life and I’m extremely grateful to have them around. They bring a sense of energy, fun and routine to our household and mean there is always something to be done. They keep us active and get us out and about and into the fresh air and allows us to feel slightly more connected to the outdoors.

Our 3 dogs have all came from different places and have their own story. We have Mia, a 2 year old Labrador we rehomed from Southampton after the sudden death of our first family dog. We also have two rescues from further afield. Hari, who is originally from Romania and whom my sister has recently adopted. Our largest dog is Eddie, who came to us after my family fell in love with him over the course of multiple holidays in Turkey.

Turkish locals are not so keen on the street dogs are have been known to badly abuse them. While their motives may be understandable, their methods are often not and it is not nice to think about any animal being mistreated. Charities and veterinary surgeries do their best to neuter as many street dogs as they can in an effort to contain the population.

Images of the Tuzla Dogs Shelter

Eddie was born a street dog, surviving for the first three years of his life begging for whatever food he could and relying on the generosity of tourists to keep him going. In the winter months he would eat sand to fill his stomach and in the 40 degree heat of the summer, his only source of water was either the ocean or chlorinated pool water. My parents have holidayed in the same Turkish villa for the past 8 years and decided to bring him to the UK. He had snapped both of his cruciate ligaments in his back legs and couldn’t walk. He was unlikely to survive another winter.

Eddie playing with a puppy.

Luckily for Eddie, a couple on the villa complex run a dog rescue centre which looks after 50 plus street dogs in the local area year round. Tuzla dogs and its team of helpers has rehomed close to 100 dogs over the past decade or more and has changed the lives of both dogs and owners alike. There are thousands of dogs like this across the planet and it is desperately sad to see the way some of them are treated.

I first met Eddie in Margate in December 2017, after he had endured a flight from Bodrum to Amsterdam, followed by a 6 hr drive in the back of van, just 3 days after having both legs operated on. He was suffering from an infection and weighed just 24 kilos.

At that point I was going through a difficult period in my life, suffering from illnesses of my own and in the middle of an intermission of my final year at University. I was asked by my parents to look after Eddie as he recovered as he needed 24hr care and I was the only one available to be with him all the time. I slept on the sofa next to him for the next 5 weeks, feeding him scrambled egg twice each night to build his strength up. I would take him out to the toilet in the garden on a lead every couple of hours in the middle of winter and gradually began to walk him further each week as he recovered. I also slowly got better during this time too and I later came to realise what an important role Eddie’s introduction had played in that process. Seeing him flourish has been the most satisfying and rewarding thing I have ever done and I am thrilled to say he has a very happy life today, running around chasing rabbits, two regular meals a day and a comfy bed where he spends a lot of his time.

Photos of Eddie throughout his recovery from surgery

Eddie means an awful lot to me on a personal level and for some reason he is able to provide a kind of companionship that humans can’t. I guess dogs just have that effect and that goes some way to explaining how they earned the title ‘man’s best friend’. I will be forever grateful to everyone associated with Tuzla dogs who helped us bring Eddie to the UK. The work they do is largely funded through their own savings as well as annual fundraisers and private donations.

As a way of saying thank you, my sister (who has worked at a large dogs kennel for the past 3 years) has been collecting doggie care gear to send to Tuzla Dogs and has also been out a number of time to assist in the running of the shelter. Her work and generosity mean an awful lot to the couple who run Tuzla Dogs and they regularly come to visit us when they are in the UK.

Last December, my mother and sister and I travelled back to Margate to hand over some dog supplies (leads, dry food, toys etc) to be taken back to Turkey and other supporters of Tuzla Dogs were also there. We had a collective brainstorming idea about what more could be done to raise awareness in the immediate future and get better outcomes for both residents and street dogs. There were ideas discussed as to how this could be achieved and what we things we could do as a group. I was asked to draft some posters and maps showing locations for where all the rescued dogs had come from and where they eventually been rehomed, as a way of showing the success of this group of people and what they have collectively achieved. It is reassuring to think that there are still likeminded people who care enough to give their time to save the lives of animals neglected by humans.

Whilst the large majority of these ideas are still in the planning stage, it has got me thinking about what large scale solutions architects of the future could generate to help create a more harmonious relationship between man and the rest of the planet’s inhabitants. Are we totally ignorant of other species or do we factor in and actively prevent the success of animals? These are big questions to tackle and I am no expert but as an animal lover, I would hate to see other species suffer purely for human benefit but having already seen the best and worst of human behaviour towards dogs, I thought exploring how we currently interact with other species around the planet would be informative.

The Wider Situation

Whilst researching themes for my last design project at University I spent a large amount of time looking at animal new headlines from the Kent area as well as the complete global picture throughout the last decade. I thought that a possible modern interpretation of an animal circus would require a modern take on the human/ animal relationship dynamic would make for an interesting design narrative. The way humans view animals have changed considerably throughout history, largely due to their usefulness as tools being made redundant through mechanical advancement. Though we are largely more respectful of animals and have made huge strides protecting them, we are still somewhat ignorant of their behaviour and are unwilling to criticise ourselves when things get out of control.

The first thing I noticed from the headlines was that the majority of the stories were negative. Many stories focus around animals encroaching or causing damage to human property, and often the most dramatic centre around an element of danger towards humans. Some articles were written in favour of the animals, blaming human habitat expansion as the reason for a general closer proximity to animals. Habitats around the world are changing every day and the wildlife are trying to adjust. Rising populations also means higher numbers of abuse cases towards domestic animals, which is a particularly upsetting topic. Modern domestic life is only compatible with a small percentage of animal species and for us to mistreat the animals we live with is extremely saddening.

There are of course, some examples of heart-warming stories documenting a positive outcome for a trapped or injured animal, such as a washed up seal pup of a domestic pet stuck down a drainpipe. Sadly, these stories are often seen as less ‘sellable’ by online press or social media and hence get lower levels of exposure and coverage. There are a few articles showcasing funny examples of behaviour from either us, the animals or both. Clips of animals on video sharing sites like Youtube rack up millions of hits, providing evidence that people are drawn to animals and the benefits they can provide.

Source: Mail Online: Adam Gerrard / Newsteam

Whether the subject of the article or video is positive or negative, it was noticeable that these interactions occur in a complete range of habitats across the planet. This is because humans have populated the planet and have impacted every environment through their actions, meaning that the inhabitant species will also be affected. Most of the interactions in urban development’s arise from wild animals impacting human life. It could as harmless as a fox searching through rubbish for food or as dangerous as a venomous snake hiding in a car engine. The important element is that humans often regard the space that the animal has ventured into as a safe space and that they feel uncomfortable, even threatened, by the animal(s).

Humans are often slow to realise that the animals are completely unaware of social boundaries and often stray into human property out of desperation to find food or shelter. Some are even domestic pets that have escaped or been thrown out or disowned and these animals likely regard urban environments as much their home as it is ours.

Animals are fantastic at adapting and learning to survive in new environments and some wild species are thriving in our cities. All kinds of species call our cities home and we have to learn that they’re there to stay. They survive well in cities because of the complexity of the environment and the abundance of food available. Many animals are loathed because of their habits of searching through rubbish in their search for food, even though humans have already discarded the food as waste. The biggest problem for humans is the disruption caused to our daily lives. These kinds of confrontations are of course inevitable between humans and these urban dwelling animals unless we are able to think of ways of providing a mutually beneficial solution in order to co-exist together successfully.

The most heavily documented source of animal confrontation I have read about is the increasing problem of macaques in Indian cities, most notably in Delhi. There are a rising population of macaques– estimated at some 3 million across India – and they are intelligent creatures. They view cities as a replacement for their natural forested habitat and they have learnt new ways to survive. They commonly steal food and other items directly out of people hands or in buildings and they are not shy when it comes to getting what they want. In December of 2018 they broke into the parliamentary building in Delhi and caused significant delays before they were chased out of the corridors of the upper floors.

Source: The Telegraph: India's civil servants caught up in Delhi ''monkey wars''

Whilst it is a slightly amusing headline, it is one of the first large scale examples of disruption animals have innocently caused at the highest level of human civilisation. Put simply, if humans and animals never met there would be no disruption. This is of course completely unrealistic and would make the world a much lonelier place for many people. The only other option is to find a way to accommodate as many species as we can within our lives, in a way that suits the comfort needs of each individual human and animal.

The set of problems in Delhi are the same problems I witnessed in Turkey with the dogs. Looking at the bigger picture, its easy to understand that more people means less space for the animals and more interactions with humans. Humans produce lots of waste and in particular, food waste which draws in wild animals as scavengers. The decreased natural habitat means less natural food is on offer so they must find food where it is available, in someone’s bin for example. Residents understandably get cross about the animals making mess and living in close proximity, as well as the physical threat of a confrontation. In Turkey, the humans are the aggressors and regularly beat, poison, drown and set fire to street dogs. In India, the monkeys are actively stoning people to death.

LINK

Tragedies do happen when animals and humans meet around the globe, but these are cases that could be prevented. At least Shark attacks are almost always a case of mistaking a human for food, and Snake bites are rarely anything other than self-defence for the animal. If we could incorporate ways for these species to get along into their respective infrastructures, I’m sure we would see benefits for everyone involved.

The need for ecologically considered architecture

Humans have built increasingly specialised buildings for ourselves with even more specific functions. Hospitals, galleries and prisons have been around for hundreds of years and all perform according to a function. We have been able to adapt our buildings for the purpose we need them too and we are building on and developing more land than ever before, expanding our world and reducing space for other species.

Humans have produced buildings for domesticated animals too, such as kennels or even a Zoo complex, which become like a home to the animals that live there. We are therefore able to design and build for other animals but currently in a very limited way. At present, I see a lot more evidence of us actively trying to prevent animal life from interfering in our life than us finding solutions to accommodate them. I mean things like those pigeon railing spike things you see on every window ledge in cities to stop birds from resting there. Surely there must be a more accommodating idea out there?

We have in recent years found small ways to provide some strategies to try and live harmoniously with animals. animal friendly Tunnels and bridges around motorways are an excellent example of a positive step forward but it would be nice to see ideas incorporating into schemes in the initial plan instead of becoming an afterthought. For the macaques of Bangalore in India, there are plans to build a 100 acre ‘playground’ for them and to add feeding stations into this area and surrounding buildings. We will have to wait and see if this is successful at stopping the violence.

Source: Nat Geo Collection: Image taken by Joel Satore

https://www.pinterest.co.uk/simoncatwell/animal-bridges-and-tunnels/

I think it is worth suggesting that City Planners and Architects start to incorporate strategies into developments into urban areas so we can be more accommodating. Cities around the world need to accept that they are not just home to humans but to other species too and we should treat them as we would any other client. They have needs that shouldn’t be overlooked and I would personally hate to think of one of my future buildings having a negative impact on animals.

I am lucky that owning a dog as a pet is something that fits in with the way humans live their lives but it isn’t possible to domesticate every animal on the planet. We need to provide space to let them do their thing and enjoy watching them when we can. Nature is amazing and I think it would be an incredible shame if we prevented it from thriving in front of us because we were too selfish to care.

Is there a need for designers to abide by regulations according the regional species or is that not the right way to go? Are there social and cultural changes that need to filter through, altering how we perceive shared space with animals? Is it about introducing tougher punishments for those found abusing or mistreating animals worldwide? These are questions that architects cannot solve on their own. They can start to raise awareness and design accordingly, but the process needs to be unanimously adopted. Whatever the best method is, I hope it embraces a move towards a more inclusive architectural model. It could be the start of something wonderful.

In the next edition of Animal Architecture I will take a look at organic architecture inspired by animal species and natural sources, and whether they could be the answer to advancing relationships between humans and the animal kingdom.

Until next time,

RK