American Pet Cross
Charlotte, NC

The mission of American Pet Cross is to serve as a national focus and funding organization to support animals in the area of disaster relief, adoption, advocacy and special projects. Halstead Architects began working with the American Pet Cross to design a prototype building that would serve all the needs of the Pet Cross in vitually any location they wished to build.

The building design is based on the idea of being modular; each pod serves a particular function while allowing flexibility when adding building space or locating in a new community. The central feature of the building is an information space that allows visitors to learn more about what American Pet Cross achieves in addition to standard pet health care.

The pods are designed for specific medical uses that include exam and surgical rooms, staff work areas, ICU locations, dental rooms and pet boarding spaces. In addition, other pods are specifically utilized for administration offices and conference rooms. All of these pods are then centered around a courtyard that is accessible to both pets and their owners.

The prototype facility is a well-executed, thoughful solution to the needs of the client, owners and the pets the Pet Cross serves.