Photographing Animal Shelter Design

by Christian Scully

In the snowy aftermath of the most recent inconvenient weather pattern to grace our presence, we at Design Imaging Studios remember an early morning autumn sunrise in Fairport, New York, the moon still lingering in the sky, and the smell of toasted foliage flowing through the air. The sun rose over the horizon and painted Lollypop Farm in golden tones, while the fall breeze gently danced around the perched American flag. 

This beautiful setting is home to hundreds of animals being served daily by those dedicated to principles of environmental responsibility and universal compassion. Domesticated animals, farm animals, strays and rescues, healthy pets and those burdened by sickness or neglect, fill the spaces inside and out. The Humane Society needed more space for educational classes, animal training exercises, offices and in-house veterinarian facilities, and we were fortunate to get a closer look. 

The exterior of the new addition maintained the style of the existing structure, resembling a modern two story barn. Connected via an large open handicap accessible foyer, featuring a layered stone wall, the first floor holds the animal training and presentation room, a large open space, easily separated and formed as needed with built-in room dividers. There is ample natural light from plenty of windows, and florescent ceiling lighting when needed. Leash holders can be found bolted into the walls every few feet, for convenience and safety while training dogs. A large stainless steel industrial kitchen is adjacent to the training space. Up the staircase to the second floor can be found cubicle divided office space, a board room, meeting space and storage. Windows allow second floor employees and visitors to enjoy views of farm animals on grounds outside. 

The new cattery was built inside the existing building. This spacious area holds individual multiple level cages, animal meeting rooms, play rooms and even exterior screened in sun rooms equipped with chairs and benches for visitors. The design is clean and modern, providing a comfortable amount of space for felines to relax while waiting for their lucky new human friends to discover them. We can say the same for the veterinarian facilities: clean, open, and modern. 

The furry friends-in-waiting at the shelter were almost impossible to leave. (Having already adopted a Lollypop rescued kitten two years earlier, I forced myself to resist!) It was a fantastic photo-shoot resulting in many great images displaying the possibilities in modern animal shelter design. 

Stephen Jensen, AIA, of Blue Sky Animal Care Architecture was responsible for the design while LeChase Construction took care of the new construction. 

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