Cat House designed by FANAF, Entrusted by the popular television program, “Change Your Life”, FANAF Architects accepted a renovation project to breathe new life into a home in Shanghai’s old residential Xuhui District on Leshan Road. A couple and 51 cats shared the client’s single room, which spanned a total of 31 square meters.

To begin the project, the designers lived with the clients and their cats in the space for an entire day. The unique experience allowed the designers to understand the client’s lifestyle needs and areas of concern in sharing a small area with so many cats. Through the experience, the designers identified that the room lacked separate areas. The couple’s living space was completely occupied by cats, causing discomfort for the owner. Photography: Xiaowen Jin
The extent of the problem meant that it was common to find cat hair on kitchen utensils and to sleep with more than a dozen cats at night. The owner did not have a place to relax alone and guests could not sit and enjoy conversation or stay for long periods. Secondly, in order to keep the cats from escaping, the windows were constantly shut, meaning the room did not have adequate ventilation. Additionally, as the place was located on the first floor of the building, sunlight could not enter the room during the day. The closed-off, tightly-knit area resulted in an unhealthy environment for the people and cats living in it.
Photography: Xiaowen Jin
FANAF executed...