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Idea by

Stephanie Davidson and Georg Rafailidis

Davidson Rafailidis

http://www.davidsonrafailidis.net

Berlin, Germany
Davidson Rafailidis is a design practice run by Stephanie Davidson and Georg Rafailidis. The work of Davidson Rafailidis was recognized by the Architectural League of New York with an Emerging Voices award in 2018. Davidson and Rafailidis co-authored a book called "Processes of Creating Space" with endorsements by Herman Hertzberger and Rachel Whiteread. Davidson and Rafailidis have taught architecture at universities in Germany, the US and Canada.

Call for ideas 2021

Continual Construction


Continual Construction


This proposal asks: can a project – a building – be thought of as a continual construction instead of a single expense incurred all at once?
File under
Type of project
  • Site-specific cases

This project started with a hybrid program: a cat café. Having opened just before the pandemic, the aspect of altruism of the animal shelter gave it resilience; it was considered an “essential service" and allowed stay open during a time when many businesses have closed for good. This project takes an existing building from 1900, now used as a cat café, and speculates on how the property might achieve more density and formal heterogeneity in the future, through a series of additive moves that happen on an as-needed basis. The thought is that this formal heterogeneity would translate to an even more diverse mixture of users that could support one another. The premise is that: the wider the array of spatial conditions available, the wider array of uses and users will be attracted to the spaces. The idea is to combine formally dissimilar volumes, like Brancusi's "Adam and Eve" sculpture, to offer spaces that are very specific, even idiosyncratic but not tied to a single program.


Exterior of rear "catio" addition

Interior showing partition between cafe and cat adoption area

Interior showing partition between cafe and cat adoption area

Exterior of rear "catio" enclosure built to withstand a second story at some point in the future

Exterior view of building constructed in 1900, now housing a cat cafe and sitting at the front of a property with more space to build in the rear

Continual Construction


Continual Construction


This proposal asks: can a project – a building – be thought of as a continual construction instead of a single expense incurred all at once?
File under
Type of project
  • Site-specific cases

This project started with a hybrid program: a cat café. Having opened just before the pandemic, the aspect of altruism of the animal shelter gave it resilience; it was considered an “essential service" and allowed stay open during a time when many businesses have closed for good. This project takes an existing building from 1900, now used as a cat café, and speculates on how the property might achieve more density and formal heterogeneity in the future, through a series of additive moves that happen on an as-needed basis. The thought is that this formal heterogeneity would translate to an even more diverse mixture of users that could support one another. The premise is that: the wider the array of spatial conditions available, the wider array of uses and users will be attracted to the spaces. The idea is to combine formally dissimilar volumes, like Brancusi's "Adam and Eve" sculpture, to offer spaces that are very specific, even idiosyncratic but not tied to a single program.


Exterior of rear "catio" addition

Interior showing partition between cafe and cat adoption area

Interior showing partition between cafe and cat adoption area

Exterior of rear "catio" enclosure built to withstand a second story at some point in the future

Exterior view of building constructed in 1900, now housing a cat cafe and sitting at the front of a property with more space to build in the rear


Idea by

Stephanie Davidson and Georg Rafailidis
Davidson Rafailidis
Berlin
Germany
Davidson Rafailidis is a design practice run by Stephanie Davidson and Georg Rafailidis. The work of Davidson Rafailidis was recognized by the Architectural League of New York with an Emerging Voices award in 2018. Davidson and Rafailidis co-authored a book called "Processes of Creating Space" with endorsements by Herman Hertzberger and Rachel Whiteread. Davidson and Rafailidis have taught architecture at universities in Germany, the US and Canada.