In Taipei City, Taiwan, this residence by AODADesign takes into account the activity and needs of five cats while providing an elegant and comfortable living space for humans.
At the outset of the project, the designers undertook in-depth research on the behaviour of humans and cats and their patterns of living together, exploring the scales and boundaries of functional planning, outlining the appearance of the home in simple strokes, and incorporating both natural textures and oriental elements to reflect the home’s location.
Cats are core to this home’s living area, with large volumes of space on each of the two walls, including catwalks, jumping platforms, and storage areas.
Sliding doors play with concepts of concealment that are intriguing to cats, with side panels that slide into the back wall of the sofa, the catwalks, and the TV. The hanging iron components for platforms are easy to clean and create plenty of lighting and shadow changes within the house.
Wood-grained materials and quasi-flock paint are incorporated selectively alongside predominantly white surfaces. A jujube red wall divides public and private spaces to provide a different atmosphere. A stained window inserted in the red wall offers a visual focal point that conveys a strong oriental impression while also allowing the cats to be seen from the kitchen as they play in the living room.
In the main bedroom, the open space and scale allow for ample storage, and wood and white colour tones are used again with honeycomb shapes. In addition, ubiquitous arced edges broaden the spatial perception of the bedroom space.
In summary, cats add warmth to every inch of the home.
