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Doll Houses Designed for Charity

UK property developers Cathedral Group asked twenty of the top contemporary designers and architects to design and build a dolls’ house straight out of the 21st Century for an exhibition called, A Doll’s House. Each house was required to feature at least one element that makes life a bit easier for a child with a disability. After being on display, the dolls’ houses were auctioned off in support of KIDS, a UK charity that supports disabled children, young people, and their families.

Cathedral Group was inspired by Edwin Lutyens’ doll house that he designed for The British Empire Exhibition at Wembley in 1922, which used what’s considered a traditional children’s toy to showcase the very best of modern British architecture, craftsmanship, art, and interior design.

Above: By Allford Hall Monaghan Morris

A-Dolls-House-Charity-2-Adjaye

By Adjaye Associates in collaboration with artist Chris Ofili and Base Models

A-Dolls-House-Charity-3-Dexter-Moren

By Dexter Moren Associates

A-Dolls-House-Charity-4-Make-Architects

By Make Architects

A-Dolls-House-Charity-5-Coffey-Architects

By Coffey Architects

A-Dolls-House-Charity-6-DRDH-Architects

By DRDH Architects in collaboration with Norwegian artist Anne Katrine Dolven

A-Dolls-House-Charity-7-Amodels

By Amodels

A-Dolls-House-Charity-8-Fat-Architecture

By FAT Architecture in collaboration with artist Grayson Perry

A-Dolls-House-Charity-9-MAE

By mae architects in collaboration with MAKLab and Burro Happold

A-Dolls-House-Charity-10-Morag-Myerscough-Luke-Morgan

By Morag Myerscough & Luke Morgan in collaboration with artists Ishbel Myerscough, Chantal Joffe and poet Lemn Sissay

A-Dolls-House-Charity-11-Shedkm

By shedkm in collaboration with artist James Ireland

A-Dolls-House-Charity-12-Zaha-Hadid

By Zaha Hadid

A-Dolls-House-Charity-13-Lifschutz-Davidson-Sandilands

By Lifschutz Davidson Sandilands

A-Dolls-House-Charity-14-DRMM

By dRMM (de Rijke Marsh Morgan Architects) in collaboration with Richard Woods Studio and Grymsdyke Farm

A-Dolls-House-Charity-15-Duggan-Morris

By Duggan Morris Architects in collaboration with Unit 22 Modelmakers

A-Dolls-House-Charity-16-Guy-Hollaway

By Guy Hollaway in collaboration with Hemingway Design

A-Dolls-House-Charity-17-Glenn-Howells

By Glenn Howells Architects

A-Dolls-House-Charity-18-HLM-Architects

By HLM Architects in collaboration with JuJu Ross Design/ A&J Hilliard Cabinet Makers

A-Dolls-House-Charity-19-Studio-Egret-West

By Studio Egret West in collaboration with artist Andrew Logan

A-Dolls-House-Charity-20-James-Ramsey-Raad-Studio

By James Ramsey of RAAD Studio in collaboration with artist Lara Apponyi

The dolls’ houses are to be exhibited at Bonhams throughout November and were auctioned to the highest bidders on November 11th, 2013.

Hat tip to Christine!

Caroline Williamson is Editor-in-Chief of Design Milk. She has a BFA in photography from SCAD and can usually be found searching for vintage wares, doing New York Times crossword puzzles in pen, or reworking playlists on Spotify.