Grand Opening: San Diego Humane Society Adoptions Center
February 13, 2024 marked the official Grand Opening of the remodeled San Diego Humane Society Adoptions Center! Members of the San Diego Community came out to support the new facility which will provide a state-of-the-art space for animals while they await their forever homes. The ribbon cutting was a momentous day for all involved in this project, which was 6.5 years in the making.
The original San Diego Humane Society Adoptions Center first opened twenty-two years ago, in 2002. As time passed, the need for innovations in the shelter became evident.
“There were no drains, it was difficult to clean, we had the dreaded black mold – all the things that happen when you have dogs in your home, times about 275,000,612. It was a lot, a lot of stress on the building,” said Dr. Gary Weitzman.
To eliminate some of these pain points of the original facility, COAR’s design for the renovated Adoptions Center focused on maximizing opportunities for guest interaction, and most importantly, decreasing the animals’ average length of stay in the shelter.
“The entire country has really been stressed by the number of [animals], especially dogs, in animal shelters over the last year,” said San Diego Humane Society President and CEO, Dr. Gary Weitzman. “Right now we have over a thousand animals in all of our shelters throughout San Diego County and we’re not alone. Shelters across the country are full to the brim with dogs.”
COAR worked closely alongside the San Diego Humane Society from start to finish to design a space that would improve the quality of animal habitats and integrate technology to improve the efficiency of operations. These improvements were made with the hopes of decreasing the animals’ average length of stay in the shelter by increasing opportunities for meaningful interactions between visitors and the animals.
Now when visitors enter the new space, they are immediately welcomed by the naturally lit atrium; bright orange, blue and green walls; vibrant floors; and a lively green wall. Touch-screen kiosks along the entry wall allow visitors to immediately start looking at the adoptable animals. Other facility improvements included dog, cat, and small pet housing, exterior agility yards, guest interaction space, animal prep and care areas, retail, and a large lobby and waiting space.
“It was an exciting milestone entering the new Adoptions Center today and seeing it filled with animals and the community,” said Haley Baquian. “After many years of dreaming, designing, and constructing, the space finally has new life in it and I'm looking forward to seeing the impact it has on adoptable animals and their future families.”
One primary goal of the new animal habitats was to reduce stress on the animals by isolating sound, visibility, and smells. The dog adoptions area utilizes a staggered sawtooth habitat design to eliminate direct lines of sight between habitats for reactive dogs and create niches for guests to pause and have a focused interaction. The design of proper ventilation and drainage were prioritized to create a clean and healthy environment, and Solatubes are used throughout the facility to maximize natural daylight.
Materials throughout the facility were carefully selected based on acoustic properties, cleanability, durability, and aesthetics. With all material, systems, and constructability decisions, cost was considered alongside performance and aesthetics to find a solution that would provide SDHS the greatest value for their needs.
“We’re passionate people and it shows in the way we care for our animals, but it also shows in the support that this organization [San Diego Humane Society] gets,” said San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria at the Grand Opening. “So, to every one of the supporters here, thank you for what you are doing. Thank you for being something that is world-class. What you're supporting is something that not just impacts us here in San Diego, but sets the standard for humane societies all across the country and all around the world.”
COAR Design Group has worked collaboratively with San Diego Humane Society since 2015, previously completing the Behavior Center and Center for Shelter Medicine.