Architects Lend Their Talents to Design Unconventional Cat Shelters for Charity

Twelve Los Angeles-based architecture firms have designed dwellings that are considerably smaller than the scale they're used to working in–all for a good cause. A non-profit organization called FixNation, which helps to reduce the homeless cat population, recently held an event called Architects for Animals: Giving Shelter where designers lent their talents and time to build unique habitats for our furry friends.

The dwellings vary in their construction. Some are very condo-like, with spaces for the cats to sleep and windows to stalk their prey. Other designs have elements of play built-in and feature string, scratchpads, and faux grass for the felines to interact with. One shelter called The Lunar Cat Lander features architectural design that's out of this world–it actually resembles a spaceship that has landed on a cratered moon.

During the benefit, the sold-out crowd was able to vote on their favorite design. Although there was some stiff competition, the most popular shelter was Cat Bowl by Abramson Teiger Architects. Their elegant, multi-use dwelling was inspired by the Chinese yin-yang symbol and has layers of wood that are spaced apart to allow a cat easy viewing access to the outside world. Scroll down to see some of the other clever creations.

Above: The Cat Bowl shelter by Abramson Teiger Architects

The catSCAPE shelter by HOK

The Silhouette shelter by CallisonRTKL

The String Theory shelter by RNL

The Lunar Cat Lander by Knowhow Shop

The Californian Cat Cube by Standard Architecture|Design

The “Cat–Tte” shelter by Formation Association, Arktura and BuroHappold

The Spiral Kitty shelter by DSH

FixNation: Website
via [Contemporist]

Photography by Meghan Bob Photography.

Sara Barnes

Sara Barnes is a Staff Editor at My Modern Met, Manager of My Modern Met Store, and co-host of the My Modern Met Top Artist Podcast. As an illustrator and writer living in Seattle, she chronicles illustration, embroidery, and beyond through her blog Brown Paper Bag and Instagram @brwnpaperbag. She wrote a book about embroidery artist Sarah K. Benning titled 'Embroidered Life' that was published by Chronicle Books in 2019. Sara is a graduate of the Maryland Institute College of Art. She earned her BFA in Illustration in 2008 and MFA in Illustration Practice in 2013.
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