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Santa Fe Paws Shelter

A dog shelter designed for Santa Fe, New Mexico, which includes a retail space, a grooming area, and an outdoor dog park with water features.

Overall Concept

For this collaborative project, Hidden Potential Interiors aided Santa Fe Paws Shelter to design a facility where stray and helpless dogs could find rehabilitation, safety, and be re-homed to a loving family to have the opportunity to spend the rest of their lives being cared for. This facility would value their patrons and advocate their uprising through services of clinical care, grooming, and boarding.

 

Using the nature and history of Santa Fe, New Mexico, the design style we chose to embody was a southwestern theme with touches of adobe, rustic woods, and shades of blue and yellow to appeal to both the human eye and the color-blind vision of dogs. We wanted to support local artists in the community by incorporating their art into the design. Our goal for this shelter was to embrace the outside environment and create a design that shows respect for the culture of Santa Fe.

Program

Shown below is the program we created as the first step of designing this project. This shelter includes 28 rooms and can house 58 dogs of various sizes. For the purpose of this project, we chose to highlight 4 of the spaces in this facility: the Adoption Lobby, Retail, Dog Park, and Grooming.

Room Names
Room Sizes
Products
Adoption Lobby
19’ - 3” x 20’ - 5”
Seating, Living Plant Wall, Murals, Stained Glass
Reception Desk/Office
11’ - 9” x 13’ - 2”
Desks, Chairs, Filing Cabinets, Computer Equipment, Copy Machine
Intake Lobby
19’ - 4” x 20’ - 5”
Seating, Stained Glass, View of Grooming
Retail
14’ - 8” x 15’ - 0”
Shelves, Buckets Containing Packaged Treats (To Tempt Dogs), Window Displays, Counter, Register, Mural, Stained Glass
Storage (Retail)
8’ - 2” x 9’ - 8”
Shelving, Retail Back Stock
Storage (Dog Park/Kennels)
14’ - 0” x 9’ - 8”
Shelving, Cabinets, Cleaning Equipment, Dog Food
Dog Park
38’ - 9” x 97’ - 2”
Artificial Turf, Gravel, Coyote-Proof Fencing, Drinking Fountains, Splash Zone/Water Features, Agility Obstacles, Sail Shades, Dog-Friendly Plants, Benches, Stepping Stones, Exit Gate
Play Zones (x2)
11’ - 6” x 9’ - 9”
Artificial Turf, Natural Light, Seating, Dog Toys, Stained Glass
Men’s Restroom
10’ - 8” x 9’ - 9”
Toilet, Urinals, Sinks, Mirror, Hand Dryer, Paper Towels, Trash Can, Soap Dispensers
Women’s Restroom
10’ - 8” x 9’ - 9”
Toilets, Sinks, Mirror, Hand Dryer, Paper Towels, Trash Can, Soap Dispensers
Grooming
16’ - 0” x 21’ - 4”
Dog Baths, Sinks, Adjustable Grooming Tables with Tethers, Grooming Equipment, Cabinets, Paw Print-Shaped Ceiling Alcoves, Floor Drains, Slip-Resistant Floor Mats
Storage (Grooming/Emergency Clinic)
17’ - 5” x 9’ - 9”
Shelving, Cabinets, Cleaning Equipment, Grooming Equipment, Towels
Dog Laundry
22’ - 9” x 11’ - 0”
Washers, Dryers, Shelves, Sink, Table
Clinic
29’ - 0” x 38’ - 0”
Exam Rooms, Wet Treatment Room, Dental Treatment Tables, Sinks, Weight Scale
Clinic Kennels (Small/Medium Dogs) (x4)
4’ - 0” x 3’ - 9”
Food/Water Bowls, Natural Light, Mesh Bed (To Prevent Mildew From Wet Dogs), Floor Drain, Whiteboard Name Plate
Clinic Kennels (Large Dogs) (x3)
5’ - 10” x 5’ - 0”
Food/Water Bowls, Natural Light, Mesh Bed (To Prevent Mildew From Wet Dogs), Floor Drain, Whiteboard Name Plate
Storage (Emergency Clinic)
11’ - 8” x 16’ - 1”
Shelving, Cabinets, UV Sterilization Cabinets, Medical Equipment
Aggressive Isolation Kennels (x7)
6’ - 10” x 5’ - 9”
Food/Water Bowls, Natural Light, Mesh Bed (To Prevent Mildew From Wet Dogs), Floor Drain, Whiteboard Name Plate
Storage (Kennels/Aggressive Isolation Kennels)
20’ - 5” x 11’ - 2”
Shelving, Cabinets, Cleaning Equipment, Dog Food
Men’s Locker Room
20’ - 5” x 10’ - 2”
Lockers, Showers, Mirrors, Bench
Employee Laundry
20’ - 5” x 8’ - 8”
Washers, Dryers, Shelves, Sink, Tables
Women’s Locker Room
20’ - 5” x 10’ - 0”
Lockers, Showers, Mirrors, Bench
Admin Office
14’ - 10” x 7’ - 9”
Desk, Filing Cabinets, Chair, Computer Equipment, Security Monitors, Lock Box
Break Room
14’ - 10” x 10’ - 10”
Microwave, Sink, Fridge, TV, Counters/Cabinets, Tables, Chairs
Employee Restroom (Women’s)
7’ - 3” x 10’ - 2”
Toilets, Sinks, Mirror, Hand Dryer, Paper Towels, Trash Can, Soap Dispensers
Employee Restroom (Men’s)
7’ - 3” x 10’ - 2”
Toilet, Urinal, Sinks, Mirror, Hand Dryer, Paper Towels, Trash Can, Soap Dispensers
Kennels (Large Dogs) (x24)
6’ - 8” x 6’ - 2”
Food/Water Bowls, Natural Light, Mesh Bed (To Prevent Mildew From Wet Dogs), Floor Drain, Whiteboard Name Plate
Kennels (Small/Medium Dogs) (x20)
4’ - 10” x 3’ - 6”
Food/Water Bowls, Natural Light, Mesh Bed (To Prevent Mildew From Wet Dogs), Floor Drain, Whiteboard Name Plate

Bubble Diagram & Block Diagram

At this stage of the project, we began to map out the room sizes and their adjacencies in relation to each other using a bubble diagram. We then worked together as a collective group to decide how best to reshape the bubble diagram into rectangular rooms with corridors for circulation, creating a block diagram.

Floor Plan

This is the Master Floor Plan for the project, showing the full layout of the building with room names and details such as furniture and accessories which are all depicted as they would be arranged within the space.


You may notice that we chose to use two different types of tile throughout the interior of the building. While the customer-facing areas in the front of the building use a mosaic of beige terracotta and hand-painted tile, the rest of the building uses an even smaller, red-based tile which is more practical for creating a non-slip surface which is still easy to clean.

Adoption Lobby Overview

Here we take a closer look at the Adoption Lobby, which is one of the 3 points of entry into the building. For many, this would be the first space in the building that people would experience and would greatly influence their first impressions.


It was important to us that we not only channeled the local culture of Santa Fe into the design, but that we also focused the color palette on blue and yellow tones, because after conducting research we discovered that those are the only colors visible to dogs.

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Shown below are some of the inspiration photos that we curated to guide the aesthetic direction of the Adoption Lobby.

Adoption Lobby Inspiration Photos

Adoption Lobby Floor Plan & Render

Shown here are the floor plan and render of the Adoption Lobby. This is the first thing people will see as they walk through the front door. Here you can see how we placed the focus of our color palette on blue, beige, and yellow to really appeal to a dog’s visual color spectrum.


To the left you can see a hand-painted mural of the shelter logo anchoring the seating area, with the retail space visible just around the corner.


To the right is the reception desk where people can sign in and speak to someone about adopting a dog.


Straight ahead your eye is immediately drawn to the custom hand-painted sign done by local artist, Hillary Vermont, mounted onto a living plant wall which takes advantage of the sun shining through the skylight above.


This sign will direct people to follow the arrow behind the stained glass in the direction of the Dog Park and Adoption Kennels.

Retail Space Overview

Here we take a look at the layout of the Retail space. This will be another point of entry for those who wish to purchase items for their dogs. This will also be adjacent to the Adoption Lobby.


Shown below are some of the inspiration images that we curated to guide the aesthetic direction for the Retail space. We wanted to create a clean and bright space that still uses materials and finishes that speak back to the outdoors and the arid climate of Santa Fe.

Retail Space Inspiration Photos

Retail Space Floor Plan & Render

Shown here are the floor plan and render depicting the Retail Space from the perspective of people entering from the Adoption Lobby.
 

This shows how the sunlight from the skylights in the corridor streams through the panels of stained glass, which doubles to allow people a peek at the dogs playing in the adjacent Dog Park.
 

The shop will offer dog treats and additional merchandise such as toys, dog beds, food bowls, and leashes.

Dog Park Overview

Now we’ll take a closer look at the layout for the Dog Park. This part of the building will be visible through the stained glass wall of the Retail Space and Adoption Lobby.


Shown below are some of the images we used as inspiration for this outdoor space. In the heat of New Mexico, we felt that it was important to incorporate water features of some kind to help keep the dogs cool during the day.

Dog Park Inspiration Photos

Dog Park Floor Plan & Render

Shown here is the floor plan and render of the Outdoor Dog Park, which is one of the main attractions of this facility. Here, prospective adopters can play with the available dogs in a shaded and controlled environment that still feels familiar to the Santa Fe landscape.


Coyote-proof fencing keeps the dogs protected from wildlife and sail shades and splash features assist in keeping the dogs cool from the harsh sun.

 

Paw print stepping stones and gravel paths wind around the park, encouraging exploration to see all that this park has to offer.


Bone-shaped benches provide seating, and water fountains for both humans and dogs are placed throughout.

 

An agility course provides the opportunity to train dogs, and gives them an outlet to exercise.

Grooming Overview

Lastly, we will take a closer look at the Grooming area, which will be adjacent to the Intake Lobby. Here we will have three grooming tables, two sinks, and two dog washing stations.


Shown below are some inspiration images we chose as our aesthetic guide for the Grooming area.


In our fully equipped grooming area we have included easy access wash stations and well spaced grooming tables to keep every dog safe and content.


We drew inspiration from the false ceiling paw print cutout and added one of our own lined with blue led lights.

Grooming Inspiration Photos

Grooming Floor Plan & Render

Shown here are the floor plan and render depicting the design for the Grooming area. Here you can see how the different patterned tiles interact within the space to compliment each other within the style and color scheme of the project.


The recessed paw print alcoves in the ceiling with blue lighting creates a complimentary background for the gold-lined pendant lights above each work station.

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Multiple grooming stations and dog washing stations allow ample space and resources for multiple dogs to be groomed simultaneously, while metal storage cabinets provide hidden storage and easy cleanup.

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