Zoikòn: The Fence and the Den. Typological-Spatial Proposal for Animal Care Places Design

Abstract

In the last years, the private expenditure on animals has grown increasingly; in Italy, the average number of pets recorded since the advent of Covid-19, was one per citizen. In addition, the Assalco-Zoomark 2021 report declares an increasing awareness of ecological aspects by operators in the veterinary sector. All these data show that the community is ready to live in balance with the animal world; however, one of the most important responsibilities of men, such as taking care of the other species, continues to be obsolete: for example, in Italy, which is the cradle of biodiversity, there are only 13 veterinary (academic) hospitals. Most of the clinics and ambulatory were not designed as a new structure to accommodate such services, but rather, as an interstitial space obtained from existing buildings suitable for the occasion. Does not exist centralized systems that regulate veterinary health care, there is no architectural language that makes these structures recognizable. Great advances have been made in recent years in the direction of ethology; specifically, relational ethology seems to be one of the disciplines that come closest to the behavioral and cognitive dynamics of animals, insisting on the power of the relationship that exists (and can exist) between man and animal. So, why not imagine that architecture and design could interface with relational ethology, to generate a conscious and appropriate way to rethink the spaces of animal care? This could be a way not only for preserving health but also for the psycho-emotional well-being of the species that surround us.