Los Angeles’ Architectural Community Design
Innovative Outdoor Shelters for Homeless Cats
Architects for Animals “Giving Shelter” event continues to raise awareness for nonprofit FixNation
One of this year’s most innovative design events, Architects for Animals® “Giving Shelter” exhibit, returned to the HermanMiller Showroom in Culver City on Thursday, October 19. The sold-out event benefits the LA-based non-profit FixNation, which provides free spay/neuter services for homeless cats (stray, abandoned and feral felines).
LA’s top architects and designers were invited to design, build and donate functional and one-of-a-kind outdoor dwellings for cats. The shelters were displayed at a cocktail reception attended by the public, VIPs and media representatives. Also on display were 28 cat food bowls decorated by feline-loving celebrities–including Jay Leno, Charlize Theron, Beau Bridges, Elvira, William Shatner, Clint Eastwood, Tricia Helfer and Morgan Fairchild–all of which are available for purchase via an online auction until 9 pm PST on Oct. 31.
“This year’s cat shelters were extraordinarily creative, and the designers put a great deal of time and thought into how cats would actually interact with the shelters,” says FixNation’s Co-Founder and Executive Director Karn Myers. “They are truly works of art with a practical application, and all the shelters are showcased in our online auction as well.”
Los Angeles is home to one of the nation’s largest populations of homeless felines, an estimated one to three million cats. FixNation is a model for successful Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR) and humane colony management programs across the country and around the world. Myers and her late husband, Mark Dodge, founded the organization 10 years ago to provide a more effective and compassionate alternative to mass euthanasia.
Participating design firms this year included Abramson Teiger Architects; d3architecture; ES-EN-EM; CallisonRTKL; HKS; HOK; Perkins + Will; Knowhow Shop; Kollin Altomare Architects; RNL now Stantec; Standard Architecture | Design; and a collaborative project from Formation Association, Terremoto Landscape and Arktura.
About FixNation
FixNation is an award-winning Los Angeles-based non-profit that supports Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR) programs for homeless cats. The organization provides free spay and neuter services for homeless cats as well as low-cost services for pet cats. Founded in 2007, FixNation has cared for nearly 150,000 cats to date. Details at fixnation.org.
About Architects for Animals®
Architects for Animals® by Feral Design Group LLC is an awareness raising initiative that plans one-night events benefiting select animal welfare organizations. Participating architecture and design firms as well as individual architects and designers design, build and donate creative outdoor shelters to provide animals with refuge from the elements. Details at architectsforanimals.com.
