Tactile Shelter – A Space Between Species

Keya Desai

AR2047

Located along the pedestrian edge of Marina Bay, is a therapy and rehabilitation centre designed for stray, abandoned, and injured cats and dogs, in tandem with humans seeking quiet companionship and healing. The centre explores the architectural potential of shared shelter—where recovery is not isolated, but mutual. Through a series of interlinked pods, open ramps, and planted terraces, the project softens the boundaries between species, offering spaces to eat, sleep, and play together. Its spatial language prioritizes pause, light, and touch, with minimal partitions and porous edges that blend into the landscape. Designed using a modular kit of parts, the project adapts sensitively to the site while remaining reconfigurable. The annual Pet Expo at Marina Bay Sands highlights the urgent relevance of such a centre—inviting both local and visiting communities to engage with a new model of interspecies care, empathy, and cohabitation.

Report Content

his infographic outlines the core principles and interdisciplinary approach of the hybrid animal-human therapy profession.

Exploring the potential of text-to-AI image generation for visualizing the therapy center's immersive environments.

The "Kit of Parts" concept details the modular and adaptable components forming the architectural design.

Contextualizing the project within its site at Gardens by the Bay, Singapore, and exploring the final composition's integration.

Diagrammatic representation of the final architectural composition, emphasizing the interplay of forms and voids.

Illustrating the design's spatial evolution through initial and mid-semester section drawings.

A final rendered perspective showcasing the project and its relationship with the surrounding landscape.

Detailed exploration of specific architectural parts and the animal retreat area within the design.

A developed section cut reveals the interior organization and key programmatic elements of the biome and reception.

The design incorporates dedicated physical therapy spaces tailored to the needs of both humans and animals.