BAINBRIDGE ISLAND — Matthew Coates has designed a house with a plant-covered roof, water-recycling system and walls made of salvaged materials.
But that’s nothing new for Coates, who has made a name for himself as one of the region’s top green architects.
What is new is that this house, with all its Earth-friendly features, is for a dog — a very lucky dog.
“Most doghouses are not really attractive, but you won’t feel sorry for a pet that lives here — you’ll feel almost jealous,” he said.
That’s because the 20-square-foot house — dubbed the “Bowhouse” — also has a heated floor, insulated walls and even a thermostat to make the place just right for a cold February night.
“It’s definitely for a pampered pooch,” said Marty Sievertson, owner of Bainbridge-based PHC Construction, which built the house.
Coates isn’t planning to get into the doghouse design business. He took on the project as a way to raise money for PAWS of Bainbridge Island and North Kitsap, a nonprofit pet health and welfare organization.
For a “significant donation” to PAWS, Coates will part ways with the Bowhouse.
“And you have to come and get it,” he said. The 2,500-pound concrete and ironwood structure took 12 men to move when it was dropped off outside Coates’ Winslow office.
The roof is planted with flowering succulents, which absorb rainwater and provide a small patch of wildlife habitat. Water from the roof is channeled through a filter and then piped down to a dog drinking dish on the house’s deck.
Almost all of the materials used to build the house were left over from a Bainbridge condominium development.
Coates, a dog owner, wanted to help PAWS after learning that demand for its services has grown as the economy faltered.
PAWS Executive Director Mark Hufford said applications for the organization’s veterinary financial assistance program have tripled since 2008.
The program helps low-income people pay for their pets’ medical assistance needs.
“We can’t meet all the demand that there is,” he said.
A donation for Bowhouse will help support the financial assistance program, Hufford said.
The Bowhouse isn’t limited to dogs. It’d make a good playhouse for kids, or a luxurious chicken coop, Coates said.
Sievertson suggested that a kindhearted hog farmer might consider making a donation. That is, he added, “if you want some really spoiled pigs.”
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