This building was an undistinguished concrete block warehouse which we converted to a day care facility for 125 dogs. Next to the warehouse was a wood frame house with a rear yard, which we incorporated into the design. The main floor of the house became the offices, the bottom level became the overnight facility, and the rear yard became the outdoor play area. The warehouse is the indoor play facility with epoxy floors and sanitary wall finishes that simplify routine maintenance.

Two design ideas were incorporated to establish the facility's image. The first was a dog play fountain that is the dogs' aquatic "jungle gym," which we built in our shop. The other was a facade design that used a "floating" steel sign combined with a vertical trellis of vines and a dramatic back lighting scheme, to completely change the appearance of the old concrete block building.