Cibolo Canyons Animal Hospital
2903 TPC Parkway
San Antonio, TX  78259

The new Cibolo Canyons Veterinary Hospital is our featured project for the Month of May.  The building is a new facility built by SSM construction for doctors Kari McGlothlin and Jamie Fehlis in the high growth area of Cibolo Canyon just east of highway 281 at Stone Oak Parkway in North Central San Antonio.

The clinic building consists of about 5400 s.f. including a spacious reception area, 4 exam rooms, consult room, doctor’s office with a panoramic view of the central treatment area, a surgery suite, imaging room, various ward and kennel areas as well as ample support and storage space.  The equipment is all brand new, computerized and state  of the art.  Interior finishes range from ceramic tile floors, granite countertops and pleasing paint colors in public areas, to epoxy flooring, fiberglass wall panels and stainless steel and glass cages and runs in the clinical and ward areas of the facility.

The site is a little larger then 1/2 acre and has 19 parking spaces.  The building sits up above the adjacent road and incorporates native plants and large limestone boulders taken from the site into the attractive landscaping.   In addition to the building, parking and landscaping, the site is over the Edwards aquifer, so a water quality pond was built on that will serve this as well as the adjacent building site.   In addition, despite all of these requirements, there is space for a small exercise yard for the animals and the building itself sits easliy on the site and blends well with the surroundings.

The building exterior is a harmonious blend of natural limestone with brick accents and stucco in a earthy tan color.  The standing seam metal roof is a dark bronze and the window and door frames are dark bronze as well  to match the roof color.

Animal Referral and Emergency Center of Arizona
1648 N. County Club Drive
Mesa, Arizona 85201

The Animal Referral and Emergency Center of Arizona is one of the few emergency and specialty clinics of its size and caliber in the nation.  It is a two story 18,000 s.f. veterinary facility which handles emergency medical cases and specialty referrals from a regional base of referral doctors and emergency patients.  The building itself is situated on a two acre lot in Mesa Arizona, a suburb of Phoenix. During the design and planning of the facility special application had to be made to the City of Mesa in order to accommodate the facility on such small site.  This facility was one of the first in Mesa to utilize their development incentive process for infill lots in older neighborhoods.  The building exterior is a contemporary Spanish stucco with Barrel-tile roofing.  The building height was strictly limited and dictated that the building be no taller than 35 feet.  In addition the originally bare site will contain extensive landscaping once finished as well as water retention ponds and the required parking.

VCA Oak Hills Animal Hospital
6614 Southpoint Drive 
San Antonio, Texas  78229

The new VCA Oak Hills Veterinary Hospital replaces the original facility that had been located on the same site since the late 1960’s.   The clinic had to be operational during construction so like other projects we have done in the past, the new clinic was designed to be built on additional vacant land behind the existing building.  When construction was complete on the project, the clinic and office operations were able to move to the new facility and the old one was demolished to make room for the new parking lot and landscaping.   At 5350 s.f., the new building is almost double the size of the original clinic.

The building interior consists of a spacious lobby with a vaulted ceiling, separate areas for canine and feline waiting and a small retail sales area.  There are 4 exam rooms and an additional exam/consult room as well as a large lab and pharmacy area.  The treatment room is the central hub of the clinic and has 4 treatment tables, 2 of which are ‘wet’ tables that have large sinks with running water.  In addition there is a surgery suite with 2 tables, an x-ray/ imaging room, an isolation ward, spacious cat boarding and kennel areas, a doctor’s office, a business office, staff break room and ample storage.  The clinic windows and materials that were selected  bring in natural light and provide easy maintenance while giving a bright cheery feel to the inside of the building.

The exterior is a red brown brick with lighter contrasting brick accents.  The roofing is a brown dimensional shingle that completments both brick colors.  The new look updates what was existing but blends well with the established neighborhood and surrounding buildings.  A Large Oak and persimmon tree that were on site have been preserved and the new landscaping provides a fresh new look to the overall project.

Animal Defense League of Texas
11300 Nacogdoches Road
San Antonio, Texas

This project for the Animal Defense League was done in conjunction with Animal Care Services and with the help of a 2.1 million dollar bond from the City of San Antonio. The three buildings were constructed by F.A. Nunnelly Company and consist of two adult dog kennels and one puppy kennel. The buildings consist of painted cmu block walls with a standing seam metal roof. The interior kennels are constructed with glazed tile cmu blocks with chainlink fencing or aluminum and glass doors. The two adult dog kennels feature indoor/outdoor kennels with interior and exterior walk ways, work area, food prep and storage area. The puppy kennel features a covered front entry and back porch with indoor kennels, a central prep area and social rooms for bonding time with the puppies

The Animal Defense League was established in 1934 for the prevention of cruelty to animals and to promote kind and humane treatment of animals. It is a non-profit organization and is no-kill shelter for abandoned and abused or neglected dogs and cats. The Animal Defense League provides a variety of services including sheltering of animals, medical treatment for animals, full time veterinarian, low cos spay/neuter programs, humane education programs and of course animal adoption.

Sugar Land Veterinary Specialty Center
1515 Lake Pointe Parkway
Sugar Land, Texas  77478

The new Sugar Land Veterinary Specialty & Emergency Center  built by Manage Response, Inc., General Contractor,  for Dr. Charles Quick on Lake Pointe Parkway in Sugar Land, TX. The building is a two story facility of approximately 15,000 s.f. This is a veterinary hospital with 24 hour emergency and critical care services as well as a specialty center for oncology, surgery, internal medicine, diagnostic imaging and radiation therapy.

The site is located in the Sugar Land area on Oyster Creek in the Lake Pointe Town Center development.

The exterior of the building is a handsome red brick, complemented by plaster trim and a champagne colored standing seam metal roof. The front entrance has a covered drop off.

The interior of the facility has a spacious vaulted waiting area, 9 exam rooms, an emergency treatment room, 2 surgery suites, 2 intensive care units, a pharmacy, multiple diagnostic labs, an isolation unit, and much more.

Midtown Doggy Daycare & Spa
4902 San Jacinto Street
Houston, Texas  77004

Our featured project for April is the new Doggy Daycare and Spa building recently completed by R. Croix, Inc., General Contractor,  for Mr. Farouk Plummer at the intersection of San Jacinto and Rosedale in Houston, TX.  Andy Immroth in our Houston office was the project architect on the job.

The building is a one story facility of approximately 4,000 s.f.  This is an upscale boarding hotel for dogs with services which include boarding, training, grooming, a doggy taxi, pet boutique,  as well as full veterinary services.

The site is located in the Midtown area of Houston. It is on the Houston Metro Light Rail Line and is only blocks from the Museum District.

The exterior of the building is a sand colored stucco with a cast stone trim and a limestone wainscot. The front entrance has a steel canopy and vibrant ‘wrapped’ storefront windows.  This simple yet elegant facade hides the fact that the building itself is a pre-engineered metal structure.  This was done to take advantage of the economy of construction for this structural system.

The interior of the facility has an exam room, a pet boutique, a grooming room, indoor play rooms, and multiple boarding areas, beginning at petite suites and ending at spacious executive condos.

Four Paws Inn Boarding Kennel
8815 FM 1976
Converse, Texas 78109

The Four Paws boarding facility  project is a 10,000 s.f.  facility and is comprised of three interconnected buildings located on three acres in Converse, TX. Two 4000 square foot facilities are dedicated to the care of canine guests. Feline guests are housed away from the canine facilities in their own 400 square foot cattery. Separate bathing areas, spacious check-in/ check-out, and expansion has been incorporated in the main building layout.  To minimize stress and improve sanitation, each dog, cat and general purpose area uses separate ventilation systems. Four Paws is fully air conditioned and exceeds the recommended fresh air exchanges recognized by the pet animal industry.  Four Paws is fully monitored for burglary, smoke and fire 24 hours per day / 7 days per week. Special access is afforded to local fire and police departments in the event of emergencies.  Pets can have a quick outside potty break or romp for hours in the yard area which is comprised of five separately fenced exercise / training areas where guests can play, work on their manners or enjoy a quick dip in their own individual wading area where lounging around is also a favorite pastime.  Services at Four paws include overnight or day boarding for dogs, cats, birds, and other small animals, play sessions, additional treats, training, shed elimination treatments, bathing services, and grooming along with special geriatric pet care.

Four Paws inn can be reached at  210-566-PAWS (7297)
or visit their web site at fourpawsinntx.com

Fredericksburg Road Animal Hospital
3493 Fredericksburg Rd.
San Antonio, TX 78201

The Fredericksburg Road Animal Hospital is a 3,200 s.f. veterinary facility designed for a pad site in the parking lot of the retail center on busy part of Fredericksburg road inside Loop 410 in San Antonio. The Owner had an established practice in the area and wished to enlarge and upgrade to a new facility. The project program involved using economical, durable materials in order to provide a quality facility within the clients budget. To achieve this, the exterior of the building was done in stucco and roof material that we selected was composition shingles. One interesting feature of the building exterior is the signage that was integrated into the stucco depicting a cat chasing a dog above the facility name. The use of windows to provide natural light into the interior of the facility was also key to the design. Interior materials included vinyl tile flooring, painted walls, and lay-in ceilings. At the time of construction the facility was built for under $100 per square foot.

Veterinary Hospital of Leon Springs
19633 IH-10 West
San Antonio, Texas 78257

The Veterinary Hospital of Leon Springs was designed for J. Patrick Mims D.V.M. who is a member of the Pets Choice Corporation of Bellvue, Washington.  The clinic is approximately 3,950 s.f. of space and uses native Texas limestone, stucco and standing seam metal roofing to project a Texas Hill Country feel as you approach the building.  As you enter the reception area you notice the warm colors used in the clinic give a relaxed atmoshphere as clients are greeted by the receptionist.  The clinic consists of five exam rooms, a treatment area, surgery suite, kennel area, and other associated functions needed for clinical support.  In the clinical areas we specified materials that are easy to clean and provide good durability in order to keep maintenance simple and affordable.  This clinic is the first of a number of projects that we have completed for the Pets Choice Corporation in the highly specilaized area of veterinary clinic design.

Castle Hills Companion Animal Hospital
1992 Veterinary Economics Hospital of the Year
13141 NW Military Hwy.
San Antonio, Texas 78231

The Castle Hills Companion Animal Hospital was the first veterinary project completed by Stephen J. Kramer Architecture + Design.  The Owner had originally purchased a small existing house on NW Military Hwy and had hired a national firm specializing veterinary clinic design to remodel this building into his new clinic.  During the course of the project design he realized he needed to work with someone located in San Antonio.  He knew enough about what he wanted so that he provided the basic building plan layout.  We worked in collaboration with the Owner and during the design process determined that it would be more economical to demolish the existing structure and build a completely new facility on the property.  Based on the Owner’s direction the facility was designed using native Texas limestone and standing seam metal roof in order to allow it relate to the residential character of the surrounding neighborhood.  The facility was sited to allow as many of the existing live oak trees to remain while providing adequate client parking in the front as well as staff parking in the rear of the building.  The interior of the building features a two story waiting and reception area with a stairway to second level offices, meeting rooms, and an efficiency apartment to be used when monitoring emergency cases overnight.  The clinical areas of the facility house the typical exam, treatment, and surgery rooms along with extensive ward and kennel areas for animal boarding.  The kennels themselves are constructed of extremely high quality materials such as stainless steel gates, glazed block walls, and rubberized steel mats that allow the animals to be elevated off the concrete floors of the runs.  The kennel itself contains automatic electrical ventilation fans and louvers so that during the milder months the heating and air conditioning cost can be minimized.  Additionally all of the trench drains in the kennel have automatic flush systems to minimize the labor involved in cleaning.  As a testimony to both the building design as well as the practice management at Castle Hills Companion Animal Hospital it was voted the 1992 Veterinary Economic Hospital of the Year.

Family Pet Hospital of Stone Oak
19355 Stone Oak Parkway
San Antonio, Texas  78258

This 3,000 s.f. veterinary facility was designed for a husband and wife planning on opening a new animal clinic in the Stone Oak Development in north central San Antonio.  They purchased a site on the main street of the development with good views that was approximately one acre in size. Since their use only required about half of the lot we proposed to provide a master plan for the site and were able to provide a site layout that allowed for another similar sized building.  The Owners subsequently sold the second site to a dentist interested in developing his office which we also designed.  Because the site was over the aquifer water quality pond was required.  This pond was designed at front side of the site which happened to be the low point and was incorporated into the landscaping.  The building exterior utilizes a forest green colored metal roof and native Texas limestone.  The roof line as well as window placement and selection of a stained wood door provide a homey, comfortable feel to the exterior of the clinic.  Inside the clients have used other touches such as curtains, wall papers and wood trim to bring this look to the inside of the building as well.

Stone Oak Veterinary Clinic
18854 Stone Oak Parkway
San Antonio, Texas 78258

This veterinary clinic that was designed for David Hernandez D.V.M. in the Stone Oak Development in San Antonio.  The 3600 s.f. facility was designed in 1996 and constructed by W.E. Close Development.  One of the challenges in the design of this project was to fit a functional building and parking on a very limited site.  We were able to do this because the developer arranged for shared parking and shared water pollution abatement pond.

As you come into the clinic you enter in the reception and waiting area that also has retail display for the sale of food and pet medicines and accessories.  Beyond that there are 4 examination rooms, each with windows for natural light.  The lab/pharmacy is adjacent to the exam rooms with grooming and boarding areas behind.  In the clinical area of the hospital there is an intesive care ward, isolation room, feline ward, radiology suite, treatment area and surgery room.  Other support spaces in the facility inlcude the doctor and manager’s offices, staff break room, toilets, laundry/  mechanical room and various storage spaces.

The exterior of the building is a contemporary stucco with a blue concrete tile roof.  There is ample landscaping and excellent signage and visiblity from Stone Oak Parkway.  Exterior lights recessed in the roof overhang highlight the building at night and insure that the visibility then is as good as during the daytime.

Feather and Fur Animal Hospital
9125 Manchaca Road
Austin, Texas 78748

Caring Hands Hospital
11817 FM 2244
Bee Cave, Texas 78738

Spring Creek Animal Hospital
14837 Nacogdoches Road
San Antonio, Texas  78247

Apache Junction Animal Hospital
17 N. Mountain Rd.
Apache Junction, AZ   85220

Apache Junction Animal Hospital in Arizona is a veterinary hospital completed for the Pets Choice Corporation and modeled after the Veterinary Hospital of Leon Springs.  The doctor came to San Antonio from Apache Junction to visit the Leon Springs facility and worked with the Architect to modify the plans for his specific needs.  The building exterior of the Apache Junction clinic is a painted stucco with concrete tile roofing.  The exterior building height is two feet taller than the original Leon Springs design allowing for easier installation and access of electrical, mechanical, and plumbing items for the facility.  The actual facility itself is approximately 1,000 s.f. larger than the original design allowing for one additional exam room and larger spaces through out the clinic.  In addition the kennel and ward area has been reduced at Apache Junction and a special procedure room has been added.  As in Leon Springs and all of our veterinary facilities materials for the building interior have been selected with ease of cleaning and durability in mind.

Saginaw Animal Hospital
817 North Saginaw Boulevard
Saginaw, Texas  76179

The Saginaw Animal Hospital is another clinic in the Pets Choice corporation designed for Dr. Ted Hemenway.  After many years of operating in a retail center Dr. Hemenway decided to move his practice down the street and design and build a new 5000 s.f. free standing building to allow his well established practice to grow with the city.  The clinic has attractive landscaping, ample customer and staff parking and a brick exterior with limestone accents.  The clinic interior has a light and airy reception room, Doctor’s and practice manager’s office, 6 exam rooms and a large clinical area including treatment with both wet and dry exam tables, surgery suite to accomodate 2 tables, lab and pharmacy area, imaging room, special procedure area, kennel, wards and other miscellaneous support spaces.

The Emergency Pet Clinic in San Antonio, Texas is the only such facility of its type in the city and is owned by a number of individual veterinary shareholders.  This project was completed in two phases.  The second phase being completed a number of years after the first.  Initially the project existed as a 2,500 s.f. emergency only practice.  The first phase of the addition added approximately 1,000 s.f. of space and remodeled the existing layout.  In doing this an additional exam room was added, the reception area was completely remodeled, and ward areas were added as well.  The treatment room layout was modified as were the administrative offices.  In the second addition project 1,500 s.f. was added bringing the total facility up to 5,000 s.f..  One challenge in the second phase addition involved providing an interior ramp between two different levels of the facility.  The administrative offices were once again enlarged and moved. Specialty practice areas such as nuclear medicine and veterinary surgery were added, allowing the facility to operate during the day as the specialty clinic in addition to night and weekends as an emergency facility.

Encino Park Veterinary Clinic
20770 US Hwy. 281 N.
San Antonio, Texas 78258

The Encino Park Veterinary Clinic is a project in which the client decided to relocate from a small 1,200 s.f. free standing facility to a larger 2,800 s.f. lease finish-out in a newly constructed end-cap space of a brand new retail center in the area.  The design reflects a typical rectangular layout seen commonly in retail space of this type, with the reception and waiting area at the front of the space followed in order by the exam rooms, lab, pharmacy, and a central treatment area with x-ray, surgery, wards, and kennels arranged around the perimeter. Careful selection of the interior materials in the facility will insure that it would look clean inviting now and in the future.  The flooring, included ceramic tile, carpet, and vinyl composition tile.  Walls were either painted or in clinical areas fiberglass reinforced plastic panel.  Rubber base was used typically as well suspended acoustical ceiling tile.  The cabinetry and countertops were constructed of plastic laminate.  Richly colored materials were used throughout in order to give the clinic a homey inviting atmosphere.

Blanco Crossing Veterinary Clinic
19179 Blanco Rd.
San Antonio, Texas 78258

Blanco Crossing Veterinary Clinic is a start-up practice for a client that had been an associate with another veterinary clinic designed by the firm.  Her new facility was to be in the corner of a new constructed retail center at Blanco Rd. north of Loop 1604 in San Antonio.  The fact that the office was to be in the corner of the center provided a challenge in laying out the space given the small amount of frontage and unusual shape.  The foyer, reception area, business office, and doctor’s office were all located near the front of the space.  Three exam rooms wrap around in L shape fashion behind.  As one goes back further in the clinic they would move from the exam rooms to the lab and pharmacy area and finally to the treatment area.  X-ray, surgery, and ward and kennel areas feed off of the central treatment room.  Material and color selections were made carefully give the windowless spaces a more open feel.

Robison Veterinary Clinic
Livingston, Texas

Animal Emergency Clinic SE
10331 Gulf Freeway
Houston, Texas  77034

The Alamo Emergency Clinic SE in Houston is another Pets Choice project completed by Stephen J. Kramer Architecture + Design.  The facility is an existing emergency veterinary practice, open only during nights and weekends.  The Owner asked that we not only update the client and clinical areas of the facility but provide an attractive new exterior facade for an otherwise dull exterior.  Our exterior solution involved the addition of a new stucco parapet and trim at the entry creating a much more interesting first impression as a client approaches.  The interior spaces were completely remodeled with exception of the lab, pharmacy, and exam rooms.  The reception area cabinets and work spaces were completely redone to allow for more efficiency in the front of the facility.  The treatment room was rearranged to provide the same result there.  Ward areas, surgery prep, and x-ray rooms were also remodeled to give the clinical staff a better and more efficient work environment.  At the part of the project interior materials including flooring, walls, and cabinets were upgraded as well.

Alamo Feline Health Care Clinic
16201 US Hwy 281 N.
San Antonio, Texas 78232

Alamo Feline Health Care Clinic is a veterinary facility specializing in the care of cats.  The Owner is a nationally recognized feline veterinarian who frequently teaches and lectures on the subject.  The location that he selected for this facility is directly across the highway from his existing companion animal practice.  The facility is a remodel of an existing veterinary clinic that had fallen in disrepair over the years.  Initially the structure was stripped to the bare studs and redesigned to suit the needs of the new clinic.  The facility consist of approximately 4,000 s.f. on two levels.  The first level contains the reception, waiting areas, examination and treatment rooms, surgery suite, and associated spaces.  The second floor contains administrative offices, a break room, and feline boarding wards.  In order to adapt this existing project to meet current code additional parking spaces had to be added and two enclosed wheelchair lifts had to be installed in the building.  In addition a dumb waiter was installed to transport animals from one level to the next.  The Alamo Feline Health Care Facility provides the only veterinary clinic in San Antonio specifically designed for the care of cats.

Hill Country Animal Hospital
12410 Bandera Road
San Antonio, Texas

An addition to Hill Country Animal Hospital, the existing building was approximately 2,500 square feet and an additional 2,500 square feet has been added. The exterior of the building features painted stucco with a stone wainscot and accents, covered entrances and a standing seam metal roof. The addition was designed to match the existing structure so that the two were similar in look.

The interior features separate canine and feline waiting areas, business offices, exam rooms, treatments area, kennels. The remodeled building also added a second floor open office area and storage.

Hill Country Animal Hospital was founded in 1999 by Dr. James Peterson and is a full service animal hospital housed in a state-of-the-art facility. Their goal is to not only provide the very best that modern veterinary medicine has to offer, but to do so within an atmosphere what is warm and welcoming. In addition they have The Palms Pet Resort and Spa on site to provide boarding, grooming, training and day care services.

Ten West Veterinary Clinic
12727 Mountain Air
San Antonio, Texas  78249