Cats, caffeine, and cool vibes a-plenty" It may seem impossible, but when tasked with the brief of transforming a historic two-story brick building in the heart of Buffalo’s Lower West Side into a cat café, inventive local architectural studio Davidson Rafailidis stepped up to the plate. Known for their projects that blend creative design choices with communal accessibility (see some of their past work here), the firm faced a a unique challenge this time around: namely, how to artfully craft a space that would work for both cats and humans.

Because there are strict regulations regarding the separation of food preparation spaces and animals, the architectural duo had to get creative, answering the call in their typical cool style.
Though the project, dubbed “Together Apart,” was completed pre-pandemic, its opening was effected by lockdown and all the ensuing guidelines, and its layout proved to be essential to its success. The space’s design allowed it to function as an animal shelter and cat adoption facility as well as a café, supporting each other and coexisting beneficially for both the local community and its inhabitants.

This is ultimately the goal for the space and its surrounding areas, with Buckminster’s Together Apart Cat Café being only the first stage in construction on the surrounding lot (itself an area zoned by the city to encourage mixed-use communal spaces). The café, despite its necessary d...