Pictured above clockwise from top left: Mark K., Paul Kariouk, Karlee Ouellette, and Chase.
Kariouk Architects have always been committed to providing our expertise to our community, and have undertaken several pro bono projects. Over the years, we’ve also considered the needs of pets in many of our designs.
In creating a new custom cat perch and dog bed, we’ve aided a much larger community of animals. We crafted these pieces exclusively for the Ottawa Humane Society to use as prizes in their 2024 For the Love of Animals Lottery, with 100% of the proceeds donated to animals requiring urgent care.
We are glad to have helped the local charity raise more than $185,000 CAD for the animals, along with other prize donors.
The lucky winner of our designs, Mark K., has four cats, whom we are sure will love their new Chat-eau. His dog will be sure to love the new bed as well. When he came to pick up his prizes at the Ottawa Humane Society, he was excited to be a winner and we had a great chat with him about the design and crafting of the pieces. He is pictured above with Paul Kariouk, Karlee Ouellette, events coordinator for the OHS, and Chase, who is the companion of one of the OHS staff members.
Chelsea Dunn McIntyre, senior manager of donor relations for the Ottawa Humane Society, commented, “We were astounded when we saw the designs and knew that they would delight our pet-loving audience. We have no doubt that the uniqueness of these prizes contributed to a very successful lottery. Once again, thank you for supporting Ottawa’s homeless and vulnerable animals!”
“Visitors to the Ottawa Humane Society were excited when they saw the prizes set up in our lobby,” added Karlee Ouellette, their events coordinator. “There was a lot of interest and questions about them.”
Paul Kariouk has been donating to the Ottawa Humane Society for about 10 years. “I’ve had close friendships with my pets throughout my life. They were always there for me, and now I’m happy to give back,” said Paul.
Design and fabrication of the Pooch Pad and the Chat-eau involved everyone in the pet-loving six-person office. Kariouk Architects donated their time and covered the costs for the professional fabrication.
The design phase for each piece took about a month and included life-size cardboard models that the team could work with. From there, the complicated geometries for each piece were precisely modelled in the same computer program that we use for designing buildings. This was essential so that the machinists and the craftspeople involved in milling the steel, the woodworking, and the custom upholstery could bring the designs to life. After a month of work, the pieces were back in the architects’ office and ready for a few final touches, like the “mice” for the Chat-eau.
“I’m a dog person myself, but it turns out that cats are more architecturally interesting because they move in three dimensions, while dogs pretty much stay on the ground. Or the couch, in the case of my dog,” laughed Paul.
