| This $8.1 million expansion to the North Central Animal Services Center: a public animal shelter operated by the City of Los Angeles Department of Animal Services, was completed in October of 2006. Initially, the project included a design to remodel the existing building. Ultimately the city chose to construct only the 74,200 sf addition, including 170 outdoor dog kennels, various assorted small animal, bird and reptile holding facilities, a detached behavioral assessment room, and new training yards. This project has transformed the facility from a bare-bones warehouse for animals to a sustainable community center focused on facilitating successful adoptions. The animals can now be assessed for behavior issues, trained by volunteers in the new training yards, and then showcased for adoption in the new landscaped exterior kennel areas.
To achieve these goals, the appearance of the existing facility was transformed by the addition of a long, curved wall clad in locally salvaged redwood siding; a datum that organizes and integrates the existing building with the new exterior kennels, the new parking lots, the behavioral assessment room, and with the landscape. The kennel runs, which fan out from the wall, are designed to draw people through the aisles, and to encourage them to continue until they have seen all the animals. A series of playful water fountains punctuate the kennel runs and provide a pleasing audible environment for both visitors and the animals. Raised puppy kennels are located strategically throughout and feature benches to allow children the opportunity to climb up and visit with the animals. The new kennel aisles are shaded by canopies of building-integrated photovoltaic cells. These panels generate enough electricity to power the entire facility. Each aisle is distinguished by a unique color, animal subject (in the glass panels and tile benches) and landscape palette to ensure that potential adopters can find their way back to a selected animal.
In order to increase public awareness of the shelter and to attract visitors, the new elements of the building are designed to create a recognizable and positive image for the facility. The western end of the wall is punctuated by an illuminated glass tower (housing the behavioral assessment room at its base) that serves as a landmark and a beacon for the building. The canopies and the fountains project through the wall (marking the aisles from the parking lot and giving glimpses of shadows and life beyond) and are protected on the public side by a series of art-glass enclosures (the public art component is thus integrated into the fabric of the project). These panels (which feature richly layered images of birds, fish, dogs and cats) subtly announce the nature of the building as they lead the visitor in a procession to the front entry.
The project is expected to achieve Gold Level certification in the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) program of the United States Green Building Council (USGBC).
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