The Third Dweller

This project reexamines the relationship between people, animals, and domestic space from the perspective of a cat. The project begins with a simple question: when a door is closed, can the cat still see the person it depends on? Conventional residential design often uses walls and doors to define human activities, while overlooking the visual connection, movement patterns, and emotional needs of pets. Therefore, this renovation is guided by the concept of “visible companionship,” treating the cat as the third resident of the home and reshaping the boundaries, circulation, and interactions within the space.

A series of circular windows are integrated into wooden sliding doors, transforming them from physical barriers into emotional interfaces. Inspired by both a cat’s instinct to observe through openings and the traditional spatial ideas of framed views and borrowed scenery, these circular openings maintain visual connections between different areas. Even when doors are closed, people and cats can still see and sense each other. Open communal areas, movable partitions, continuous circulation paths, and a plant-filled balcony further create a shared environment where people, pets, collections, and nature coexist.

Rather than adding separate pet facilities, the project incorporates the needs of animals into the overall spatial strategy. Observation, movement, hiding, and companionship become essential design elements. Meanwhile, the owner’s books, records, artworks, vintage furniture, and personal collections are preserved and reorganized through display systems, niches, and custom woodwork, allowing memories and daily life to continue evolving within the home.

Beyond creating a pet-friendly residence, the project explores a more inclusive approach to living: a home should not be designed only for human convenience, but should allow every living participant to experience freedom, security, and the possibility of being seen.