Sheep and Dog Buildings, Tirau
The small town of Tirau, New Zealand, has the unofficial title of ‘Corrugated Capital of the World’.
By the late-1980s, Tirau, which had once been a thriving farming community, was in serious decline. A local businessman Henry Clothier, instigated a revival-of-sorts, by using discarded corrugated iron to create sculptures and structures, with the intention of attracting tourists passing by on the nearby highway.
The first building was the ‘Sheep’, constructed in the 1990s, and used to house a wool and craft store, making it a prime example of mimetic architecture. The building comprises a mixture of ground and first-floor showroom space, with a café and kitchen. The shop-owning family live on the first-floor in the self-sufficient mezzanine level.
The ‘Big Dog’ building was also built in the 1990s to house the visitor information centre, while the ‘Ram’ building adjoins the ‘Sheep’ and was completed in 2016 to increase showroom space and amenities.
[edit] Related articles on Designing Buildings Wiki
Featured articles and news
A now architectural practice looks back at its concept project for a sustainable oceanic settlement 25 years on.
Copyright and Artificial Intelligence
Government report and back track on copyright opt out for AI training but no clear preferred alternative as yet.
Embedding AI tools into architectural education
Beyond the render: LMU share how student led research is shaping the future of visualisation workflows.
Why document control still fails UK construction projects
A Chartered Quantity Surveyor explains what needs to change and how.
Inspiration for a new 2026 wave of Irish construction professionals.
New planning reforms and Warm Homes Bill
Take centre stage at UK Construction Week London.
A brief run down of changes intentions from April in an onwards.
Reslating an ancient water mill
A rare opportunity to record, study and repair early vernacular roofs.
CIOB Apprentice of the Year 2025/26
Construction apprentice from Lincoln Mia Owen wins this years title.
Insulation solutions with less waste for a circular economy
Rob Firman, Technical and Specification Manager, Polyfoam XPS explains.
Recycled waste plastic in construction
Hierarchy, prevention to disposal, plastic types and approaches.
UK Net Zero Carbon Buildings Standard V1 published
Free-to-access technical standard to enable robust proof of a decarbonising built environment.
Prostate Cancer Awareness Month
Why talking about prostate cancer matters in construction.
The Architectural Technology podcast: Where it's AT
Catch up for free, subscribe and share with your network.
The Association of Consultant Architects recap
A reintroduction and recap of ACA President; Patrick Inglis' Autumn update.
The Home Energy Model and its wrappers
From SAP to HEM, EPC for MEES and FHS assessment wrappers.
Future Homes Standard Essentials launched
Future Homes Hub launches new campaign to help sector prepare for the implementation of new building standards.
Building Safety recap February, 2026
Our regular run-down of key building safety related events of the month.