Based on structural failure pattern obtained from shaking table tests, a comprehensive strengthened layout for a typical dwelling, brick masonry building without structural column of Yuxi region in Yunnan, was designed. In this model, the first floor was adopted to prestressed steel and the top floor was pasted by carbon fiber sheet. The dynamic performance of the strengthened typical dwelling (1/4 model) was studied. The results showed that (1) the strengthened dwelling was capable of withstanding earthquake action with acceleration peak of 0.5 g. The seismic performance of the dwelling had improved significantly compared to the original model. (2) The structural failure patterns of the strengthened dwelling included wall cracking, destruction of the wall between the windows and localized corner damage. In additions, the wall of the second floor was severely damaged and was regarded as the weak point of the structure. Moreover, the finite element analysis of the masonry structure was implemented by using the continuum model, in which the mechanical properties of brick masonry was simulated by the concrete with same compressive strength, and the nonlinear analysis of model was carried out by adjusting plastic stress-strain relations and damage factor of concrete. In additions, distribution pressure was used to simplify the loading of prestress, and the shell element was adopted to simulate the action of carbon fiber sheet. The results of the finite element simulation were consistent with that of the test. In conclusion, the strengthening method suggested in this article could be applied in strengthening or retrofitting of the dwellings whose structural types are similar to Yuxi dwellings illustrated in the paper.