A group of ten hens has announced an unusual architectural competition that challenges designers to reimagine the humble chicken coop as a thoughtful expression of contemporary design philosophy. Launched in collaboration with Outsider Magazine, the competition seeks to elevate centuries-old poultry housing standards that have remained essentially unchanged since medieval times. The feathered patrons argue that while human architecture has evolved to embrace sustainability, innovative materials, and sophisticated climate control, chickens continue to live in what amounts to pre-modern structures. This disparity, they contend, reflects poorly on society's commitment to thoughtful design for all inhabitants of the built environment.

Current chicken coop design relies on a simple utilitarian formula: basic wooden planks, straw bedding, and a fundamental logic of keeping predators out while providing minimal shelter. This pragmatic approach has prioritized function over form for centuries, leaving chickens in architectural stagnation while humans debate microclimates and biophilic design. The competition organizers note that even as we apply cutting-edge thinking to our own living spaces, we have not extended the same creative consideration to the animals that share our domestic landscapes. This oversight represents a missed opportunity to explore how architecture mediates our relationship with non-human species.

The competition brief calls for designs that clearly articulate society's understanding of its relationship to animals, landscape, comfort, natural materials, and everyday rituals. Rather than demanding futuristic smart houses or soaring avian skyscrapers, the hens seek modest yet architecturally significant shelters that demonstrate genuine consideration for their inhabitants. The project aims to provoke discussion about whether good design principles should apply universally across species boundaries. Successful entries will balance practical poultry needs with aesthetic ambition, creating spaces that honor both the chicken's natural behaviors and human architectural values.

Outsider Magazine's partnership on this initiative brings national attention to questions about design equity and animal welfare that rarely enter mainstream architectural discourse. The competition is open to professional architects, students, and design enthusiasts willing to engage with this unconventional challenge. Submissions will be evaluated on their ability to integrate structural innovation with humane treatment, landscape sensitivity, and material authenticity. The organizers emphasize that they seek thoughtful interventions rather than gimmicky or overly complex solutions that might prioritize spectacle over chicken wellbeing.

This competition arrives at a moment when architecture is increasingly concerned with multispecies coexistence and ecological responsibility. From bee-friendly urban planning to wildlife corridors, designers are beginning to consider how built environments serve entire ecosystems rather than just human occupants. The chicken coop project scales this concern down to the domestic level, asking how our backyards might become laboratories for more inclusive design practice. It challenges participants to think beyond anthropocentric assumptions about what constitutes good architecture.

Those interested in participating can find detailed submission guidelines on the ArchDaily website, where the competition was officially announced on January 7, 2026. The project represents a growing category of design challenges that use humor and provocation to address serious questions about our ethical responsibilities as designers. Whether the winning design will actually be built for the ten hen patrons remains part of the competition's playful mystery, but its impact on architectural conversation is already certain. As the organizers note, sometimes the most important design questions come from the most unexpected clients.