Once again, Seattle landscape architect Brooks Kolb participated in Luxe Magazine’s Barkitecture design competition, a benefit for the Seattle Humane Society.  As the landscape architect for Team TCA, headed by Stephen Rising, architect, Brooks contributed a small container planting.  This year, the design challenge for all the teams was to design a crate that would serve multiple purposes as a piece of furniture in the owner’s home or condo, instead of a dog house for their back yard.  Clearly, Luxe Magazine was taking a cue from Team Ripple’s 2012 entry, for which Brooks Kolb designed the landscape (see the related 2012 blog entry, “Bau wau haus.”)

Called  “Working Outside the Box,” Team TCA’s2013 Barkitecture entry was an elegant walnut desk.  Instead of a filing cabinet, it features a telescoping, pull-out dog crate, so your dog can nap at your desk while you pay your bills or work at your computer.  The shelf on the right side of the desk belongs to magazines or your cat – it’s your choice!

The beautiful desk was built by Toth Construction from the team’s collaborative design.  Team members included but were not limited to Susan Marinello Interior Design, Dave Masin Interiors and Stacy Logan carpets.  Stacy designed the stylish doggie foot rug.

Brooks Kolb’s contribution was the Alocasia (Elephant Ears) plant in a cast-glass pot commissioned by Brooks from Sherri Gamble of Sage Artistry.  Soon to be exhibited in an art gallery, the pot is called “La Loba,” named after the Bone Collector in folklore, who patiently reconstructs the bones of a wolf.  Sherri cast the container from actual bones that were pre-chewed by her 3 golden retrievers.

“Working Outside the Box” sold at auction at the May 16 event for $3000, higher than any of the other 6 entries sold that night:  a resounding success for Team TCA and Luxe Magazine.  In all, the Barkitecture auction contributed over $10,000 to the Seattle Humane Society.