[ Matthew Hayward and Nadia Turan ] The Nogg_A Modern Chicken Coop

The Nogg is a modern chicken coop that has been designed in the shape of an egg. Urban chicken keeping has become a growing trend, and The Nogg is designed to house 2-4 chickens in an aesthetically pleasing coop to compliment any garden.

The nogg is a modern chicken coop that has been designed in the shape of an egg. It has been designed to house from 2-4 chickens and is to encourage domestic farming while adding a touch of playful elegance to sit beautifully in any garden, urban or rural environment. The nogg is designed to enhance and compliment it’s surroundings and fit sculpturally with this aesthetic assumption. The nogg aids and advocates the provenance of homegrown foods. Chicken keeping has become a huge trend in the last 18 months and makes an ideal pet with benefits that delivers fresh eggs in the morning.

The nogg is an enterprising collaboration between furniture designer and engineer Matthew Hayward and Creative Director Nadia Turan. It is a great example of how a random thought became a reality when a number of friends and relatives were excited about keeping chickens. It was upsetting to all of us how ugly, badly constructed and rudimentary the chicken coops were. It sparked a debate as to why we should be lumbered with an eyesore in our gardens. We decided to come up with an alternative chicken coop and a brand that would surprise and delight you just as much as those first fresh eggs will. It wasn’t long before we  thought of the shape and design details and after an arduous, stressful year the nogg (prototype 01A) hatched.

The Design
Engineered and crafted by hand in the UK the nogg is made from strong cedar wood which is fresh scented and naturally antibacterial. Stainless steel trimming, locks & fasteners and the elevated glass dome gives the nogg a contemporary feel and is reassuringly safe and durable. It is Matthew Hayward’s ability to mix precission engineering with his inate empathy for materials and craftsmanship that makes his work quietly brilliant and makes this a beautiful and unique object above and beyond being a pretty cool chicken house!

There are many challenging design features encompassed in the nogg. The doors have been created  with a stainless steel frame and ribbing to combat the possible effects of the elements. The innovative glass top twists and lifts to aid ventilation and is just one of the details that really elevates the idea of what a domestic coop can be. The nogg sits on a concrete base fastened with stainless steel rings that keeps it damp proof and stable.

The Brand
The brand has been developed by Nadia Turan who has used hand drawn illustrations combined with graphic elements to bring the nogg and those quirky chickens to life. The brand and overall concept portrays a fun sense of humour and belies a fastidious attention to what transpired to be a feat of innovative design and engineering solutions.

The Location
The nogg has been hatched on a fascinating plot belonging to Matthew. It is a cottage and grounds that sits among a chicken farm, cow fields, even a castle and sits on the edge of Luton airport’s runway strip! Matthew designed and built his own workshops and has engineered and constructed the machinery required to hold and build the nogg. His steadfast and almost fanatical adherence to hand made and traditional methods extends to the beautiful studio he built in his garden to use specifically for the nogg.

The Specs
Safe: Fox proof locks, latches and fixtures.
Ecological: Hand made from Cedar wood the nogg has a naturally fresh scent and is naturally resistant to bacteria
Easy to clean: With a large hatch there is easy access to the removable base tray inside.
Durable: Cedar wood was chosen for it’s strength and durability. As the nogg weathers it will get better with age.
Name: nogg (Prototype 01A)
Designed by: Matthew Hayward and Nadia Turan
Engineered & hand made by: Matthew Hayward
Date: September 2010
Materials: Sustainably sourced Cedar wood, 316 stainless steel, glass & concrete base
Size: Height – 1.2 m x widest diameter – 80cm

from  contemporist