Design Challenge:

• Master plan for the organization's first bona fide facility
• Create a variety of spaces to connect people to animals and other people.

Ramshackle is a perfect word to describe the collection of buildings that used to (barely) accommodate the Animal Shelter of the Wood River Valley. When the organization was gifted a piece of land in 2015, they began fundraising in earnest to build the facility of their dreams. 

As the lead design architect, DFDG worked with our client to create a master plan not just for a new shelter, but for a community place. We partnered with Animal Arts, a specialist in design for animal care, to expand and improve the Animal Shelter’s core service facilities. We made indoor and outdoor spaces for gathering, like courtyards, meeting halls, conference rooms, and a cafe that includes a catio.

Our Client opened their doors in 2019, under their new name, Mountain Humane Animal Shelter, bigger, and better able to serve more two-legged and four-legged visitors.