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TENNITY WILDLIFE HOSPITAL & CONSERVATION CENTER
PALM DESERT, CALIFORNIA
Photography:
Brett Drury
Jury
Comments: The curved landscaping walls and block
colors help to blend this building into its desert site. The
use of radial design elements, curved walls and oblique
angles are nice examples of how block can be incorporated
into a building design in very creative ways.
The Living Desert Veterinary and Research Center in Palm
Desert, California was designed to meet the present and
future needs of The Living Desert’s 420 animals
comprising 134 species. The center also cares for many
injured animals brought in by the public – up to 1,000
per year. This 24,000 square-foot facility replaced an
existing 900 square-foot animal care building. The harsh
desert environment, security concerns, maintenance concerns
and structural considerations were important design
requirements of this project. The design solution addresses
these concerns by providing a unique design, which
incorporates a central surgery/treatment core area around
which small animal wards, large animal wards,
storage/support areas, and administration are
located.
The exterior and interior materials are primarily concrete masonry, keeping long-term maintenance costs minimal. Buff colored precision single scored masonry units were used on both the interior and exterior of the building, along with banding of split face concrete masonry units of red-brown, struck only along the horizontal joint. Clerestory lighting allows direct daylight into interior treatment/recovery areas. A special environmental HVAC system was incorporated to separate foul odors from “clean areas,” while providing comfort to the building occupants.
The center is one of a very few of its kind in the country, offering an interactive experience to the public. Visitors are able to witness live and videotaped animal care procedures in the treatment and surgery rooms, which consist of one surgical area for large animals and one for smaller animals. Veterinarians and staff explain the procedures and interact with the public via microphones. The Special Care Unit features five large windows, allowing the public to view animals requiring specialized care. This facility not only incorporates the latest equipment and design elements for a veterinary hospital, but also has become an integral part of the zoo’s daily park tour.
ARCHITECT:
Urrutia Architects
165
Luring Drive
Palm Springs, CA 92262
Francisco
J. Urrutia, AIA
Principal
STRUCTURAL
ENGINEER:
Knapp Structural Engineers
GENERAL
CONTRACTOR:
Greg Scrivens
MASONRY
CONTRACTOR:
John Barajas
BLOCK
PRODUCER:
ORCO Block Company
OWNER:
The Living Desert
