Symbiosis Cat House Hale Noho by Jimmy Yung

Symbiosis Cat House Hale Noho by Jimmy Yung is a highly esteemed winner of the very prestigious 2026 A' Design Award Kala in Hoʻolālā Hale, Kūkulu a me Hōʻuluʻulu Competition Category.

KalaHoʻolālā Hale· 2026

Symbiosis Cat House Hale Noho

by Jimmy Yung

Client: Happystudio

A' Design Award Kala Winner in Hoʻolālā Hale Category

16,014

Verified Award Winner

Verify Award Status for #177448

View at A' Design Award Press Release Award Badge

Colors

The Design

About Symbiosis Cat House Hale Noho

He hale noho ʻo Symbiosis Cat House i hoʻolālā ʻia no kahi kahua kūlanakauhale haiki. Hiki i ka poʻe me nā maʻi ʻaleleji a me nā pōpoki ke noho pū ma kēia hale ʻehā papahele. Hoʻokaʻawale kekahi hoʻolālā māhele kūpaka i nā wahi holoholona mai nā wahi kanaka. Na kahi ātrium waena e hoʻoholo i ka hoʻokahe ea kūlohelohe e lawe aku ai i nā mea hoʻāla ʻaleleji me ka ʻole o nā ʻōnaehana mīkini kaumaha. Lawelawe nā ʻāpana hoʻopuka ea kūikawā i nā wahi lua pōpoki. Hoʻēmi ka puna kaila ʻole i uhi ʻia, ka pōhaku lepo maka maikaʻi, a me nā ʻanuʻu metala puka i ka lepo a me nā mahu kemikala. Kū aʻe kahi hale kiaʻi pōpoki ma ka ʻaoʻao o ke alapiʻi, e hoʻomau ana i ka pilina ʻike maka o ka ʻohana.

The Recognition

About the A' Design Award Kala

Ua lanakila ka hoʻolālā Symbiosis Cat House Hale Noho i ka A' Design Award Kala, he ʻike hoʻohanohano nui loa i hāʻawi ʻia i nā hoʻolālā kiʻekiʻe loa, nani a kupaianaha. He mau hana ʻālohilohi loa a hana noʻeau nui nā lanakila Kala e hōʻike ana i ka loea, ka makakoho a me ka ʻoi aku o ka noʻonoʻo o kā lākou poʻe hoʻolālā. Manaʻo ʻia ʻo ka hoʻolālā Symbiosis Cat House Hale Noho he hana kupaianaha, kūlana ʻoi aku, ʻoihana kiʻekiʻe a hou loa. ʻO kēia hoʻolālā i lanakila i ka A' Design Award Kala he mea hoʻokumu kūpono loa, mahalo ʻia e hāʻawi i ka pōmaikaʻi a hoʻoneʻe i nā palena o ka hana noʻeau, ka ʻepekema, ka hoʻolālā a me ka ʻenehana. He mea i ʻeleu ʻia e nā mea he nui ka hoʻolālā Symbiosis Cat House Hale Noho e hoʻāla i ka makemake, lawe mai i nā manaʻo maikaʻi a hoʻāla i ka kamahaʻo a me ka mahalo.

Behind the Design

Press Kit

Credits, team members and technical details provided by the designer.

Unique Properties: This narrow row house utilizes a vertical zoning strategy to resolve the paradox of density and hygiene. Key features include a stepped setback profile to ensure future adaptability against high rise developments and a dual loop circulation system. The house functions as a metabolic organ, employing a central atrium to drive a stack effect that continuously purges allergens. This ensures that the living environment remains clear without reliance on heavy mechanical systems.
Dimensions & Packaging: The building dimensions are Width 5100 mm by Depth 17050 mm by Height 9700 mm. It occupies a site area of 90 square meters with a total floor area of 250 square meters across four floors. Structural components include uncoated concrete, fair faced brickwork, and perforated metal panels. A central vertical atrium provides passive ventilation while localized exhaust systems manage air quality.
Tags: Residential Architecture, Micro Housing, Hypoallergenic Design, Passive Ventilation, Vertical Zoning, Interspecies Living, CFD Simulation, Brutalism, Pet Friendly Architecture
Production Technology: The construction employs a low maintenance and hypoallergenic material strategy. Fair faced brickwork with calibrated porosity creates a breathing skin for natural air filtration. Uncoated concrete and perforated metal treads minimize the emission of chemical compounds and prevent the accumulation of dander. Aero acoustic zoning utilizes localized negative pressure at litter zones via dedicated mechanical exhaust to ensure high air quality in human zones.
Design Challenge: The primary challenge was reconciling strict biological isolation with visual intimacy on a narrow site. The design had to anticipate future urban density while ensuring the interior remained breathable. Engineering a passive stack effect to isolate dander without extensive use of HVAC systems was the technical peak. The design balances private health requirements with public aesthetic value, proving that rigorous functional needs can yield a rhythmic living environment.
Research: Applied Architectural Research. Objectives included the optimization of health for multiple species in high density settings. Methodology involved spatial mapping and airflow simulation using CFD modeling tools. Participants included a family with severe allergies and two felines. Results showed a ninety five percent reduction in the spread of allergens via vertical zoning. Insights confirm that health is a spatial mechanism. This creates a replicable and neuro inclusive model.
Inspiration: The project originates from a critical conflict between respiratory health and the need for interspecies companionship in dense urban areas. The objective was to demonstrate that biological well being and domestic life can be integrated through spatial innovation. By scaling the internal volume to match the vertical requirements of felines, a nested system was created to protect the air quality for human inhabitants while ensuring freedom for animals.
Project Duration: The project started in January 2022 in Douliu City Taiwan and finished in 2024 in the same location.
Operation Flow: The house functions through a shared vertical journey. As family members walk up the stairs, cats climb up their own dedicated tower right beside them. Both paths rise in tandem around a central void to ensure constant visual and acoustic proximity. Key moments include watching companions move across the atrium or hearing them through light filters while the air remains fresh. This design succeeds by protecting the health of every inhabitant while keeping the emotional bond of the household intact.
Team Members: Design Director: Jimmy Yung
Designer: Tina Liao
Image Credits: All Images: Photographer Yi-Hsien Lee