Atelier GOM has created a hotel in northeastern China where the needs of canine companions are catered for in equal measure to those of their owners.

The project is a 30-room hotel for pet owners to stay with their dogs. In addition to human needs, the structure also takes into account the behaviour of the animals. To reduce the probability and number of dog encounters inside the hotel, the design denied the traditional corridor hotel composition at the early stage and adopted the independent single 'building blocks' approach, through pulling apart, stacking, sloping roofs and stacking steps to make way for staircase space and other areas.

Rooms are designed with a raised mezzanine floor, with an upper bedroom and a lower living floor, to accommodate different human-dog relationships. Windows on the facade create a special viewpoint for the dog to observe the outdoors, easing separation anxiety when the dog is alone.

The inner courtyard is a block of hard paving without height difference, created for convenient cleaning and easy to take care of.

This project has been longlisted in the hospitality building category of Dezeen Awards 2022.

Architect: Atelier GOM

Project: Kennels