Homes Designed for Living with Cats｜Custom-built homes by architecture firms8Picks｜A Comfortable Environment for Cats and People

Designing a home for life with cats requires a design approach informed by feline behavior and daily rhythms. Measures include provision of catwalks and shelving to satisfy cats' preference for elevated locations; selection and detailing of materials to mitigate wear from scratching; design of openings with escape-prevention netting or grilles; ventilation strategies to address odors; and storage solutions that discreetly accommodate litter areas. Integrating these elements into the architecture makes a dwelling comfortable for both cats and people. The design office interviews clients about the number of cats, their temperaments, and how they use the living spaces, and then designs environments that enable a rich life shared with cats.

This is a residence for a young married couple and their two cats. In response to a newly reconfigured streetscape undergoing land readjustment, the composition is closed to the outside while opening inward. A U-shaped plan contains a courtyard with a "kakuremino" tree placed at its center, creating a gentle buffer from the street. A deck on the second floor provides separation from the surrounding environment while ensuring adequate daylighting. The interior is organized in a Japanese-modern style, prioritizing calmness and refinement rather than antiquarian qualities. It is a home whose character deepens with time.

Despite its location in a densely built residential area, this is an open courtyard house that opens widely onto an internal courtyard. The living and dining areas are planned to integrate with the courtyard, creating a comfortable living environment that admits daylight and natural ventilation without concern for surrounding sightlines. Attention has also been paid to life with a pet cat: design measures that allow the cat freedom of movement are incorporated throughout, including a small window connecting the living room and a dedicated cat space. The result is a gentle, richly realized home where family and cat can comfortably live while remaining aware of one another.

A residence planned for comfortable living with a beloved cat. Aiming for a space that showcases high-quality furniture, the finishes employ materials that age gracefully—such as lauan plywood and flexible board. The character of these materials deepens over time, adding richness to daily life. For the cat, a scratching area, a litter space, catwalks, and a tranquil resting place have been carefully provided, and the terrace is enclosed by a tall plank fence to ensure safety. The exterior employs shou sugi ban (charred cedar), creating a cohesive presence both inside and out. It is a warm home where the resident and their beloved cat can both live comfortably.

A residence for a couple, their child, one dog, and two cats, set in a quiet setting of surrounding rice paddies and fields. In the design the dog and the cats were regarded as important occupants, and spaces were planned to accommodate their respective behaviors. A single‑storey wing for the dog and a two‑storey volume for the cats are provided separately, organized so that they can sense one another across an inner courtyard. The surrounding context—including the highway and the embankment—was actively interpreted, and the distinctive landscape was integrated into daily life. By pursuing comfort for both animals and people, the house cultivates a new relationship with nature and the surrounding scenery.

This residence was designed for a neighborhood where old and new buildings coexist. Oriented with its long axis to the north and subject to strict height-plane (sloping plane) restrictions, the plan adopts a skip-floor configuration with half the volume arranged as a semi‑basement, balancing site efficiency with spatial richness. Individual spaces are suitably articulated yet continuous, and variations in ceiling height generate a sense of spaciousness and diverse places to inhabit that exceed the measured floor area. From the built‑in garage to the entry, the generous dining area, a living room designed for cohabitation with cats, the semi‑basement workroom, and a tatami guest room, the everyday scenes of life are carefully curated. Equipped with whole‑house air conditioning, high thermal insulation, and a seismic‑damping structure, the home reconciles comfort and performance.

This residence was designed for a married couple, their beloved cat, and their cherished motorcycles. Centered on a spatial organization that keeps the owners constantly aware of their bikes within daily life, the project also carefully addresses the site condition of a railway line adjoining the west side. Privacy and sound insulation are ensured while achieving an open spatiality that anticipates possible future café operation. The design gently links home, hobbies, and future aspirations, enriching everyday life. It is a home that materializes the joy of living surrounded by the things you love.

On the Nara City site, buildings of different eras are connected by open verandas and an inner courtyard. The oldest and largest outbuilding — a former timber storage barn — was planned for conversion into a comfortable residence. The barn had originally been built as a lumber warehouse; half of its volume comprised a large double‑height void and much of the structure was exposed to the elements. All earthen infill walls that had deteriorated and delaminated from the post‑and‑beam frame were removed; posts and beams affected by termite damage and rot were reinforced or replaced. After upgrading the thermal insulation, the double‑height space was repurposed as a large open‑plan living/dining/kitchen (LDK). Surrounding this space, a guest tatami room, bedroom, sanitary/wet areas (bathroom and laundry), storage, and a dedicated room for cats were arranged.

Planned from consultation during the land search, this home enables the family and their cat to live comfortably. The L-shaped plan encloses a south garden to gently spread natural light; a glass-enclosed kitchen, a catwalk connecting the double-height void, a cat room and cat doors are provided so that human and cat circulation and resting places overlap. High thermal insulation and airtightness with the adoption of Koremo realize a comfortable, energy-efficient indoor environment throughout the year.