ODD nestles cat houses into grooves of hutong roofs in beijing

ODD nestles cat houses into grooves of hutong roofs in beijing
images ©  jin boan
image courtesy of ODD

the ‘MAOer hutong project’ seeks to enhance the living quality of cats through the installation of quarter-cylindrical boxes along the roofs of traditional hutongs in beijing. developed by okamoto deguchi design (ODD) as a result of the studio’s desire to find an experimental way to learn about hutong life from a different perspective, the initiative seeks to create a community space for felines who are an important part of the local culture; and were installed throughout the dashilar district during beijing design week 2014.

the cat shelters were placed between the grooves of traditional hutong roof tiles in beijing
image © designboom

the modules stand as small shelters which nestle within the grooves of the hutong roofs, while simultaneously protecting the ancient architecture from the cats’ favorite weed, which naturally grows on the upper structure of the homes, slowly leading it to decay. the opening of each V-shaped unit serves as a container, while the bottom element has holes which allow for draining. additionally, the component also functions as thermal insulation for people living below, while protecting the precious hutongs from the elements.

each module is made from wood
image courtesy of ODD

the V-shape of the boxes allow them to fit nicely between the hutong roof tiles
image courtesy of ODD

the boxes also help to protect the historic buildings from weeds
image courtesy of ODD

detail of the ‘MAOer-hutong project’
image courtesy of ODD

a cat investigating the shelters
image courtesy of ODD

concept drawing 

project info:
 

organizers: ODD (okamoto deguchi design)
designers: odd ( keizo okamoto, tsutomu deguchi, li hongzhen，luo shuanghua，daisuke matsumoto, zhang yunfei)
dates: september 26th – october 3rd, 2014
address: cha’er 23#, beijing
photography: jin boan
manufacturer: shangdong weifang huisen  furniture
special thanks: zhang xiao. ou yang  yan quan, liang ting