We, a group of ten hens (in collaboration with Outsider Magazine), are launching an architectural competition. We need a new chicken coop. Our living standard has not changed significantly for centuries: a few planks, some straw, and the simple logic of “keep it covered and closed so the fox can’t get in.” While people debate living, sustainability, structure, materials, light, and microclimate, hens remain stuck in a kind of pre-modern era—which, let’s be honest, does not reflect well on the progress of architecture for animals.
We are not asking for a skyscraper or a smart house. We simply want the coop to be architecture— one that clearly expresses how society understands its relationship to animals, landscape, comfort, natural materials, and everyday rituals.
