Owner: Greater Birmingham Humane Society (GBHS)

Location: Birmingham, AL

Project Area: 27 acres

For over 130 years, the Greater Birmingham Humane Society has been setting the standard for pairing animals in need of a home with families in need of a friend. Historically this has been made possible by individual functions operating out of separate facilities spread across the metro area. We were approached recently by the leadership of the organization with a vision to consolidate these facilities onto one piece of property. Once complete, this campus will not only increase the operational efficiency and effectiveness of their mission, but will also provide a public amenity in the form of an animal park. The goal of this park is to attract pet owners and the general public from around the metro area and allow them to get up-close and personal with the mission of GBHS. Their vision includes connecting this property that is situated on the edge of downtown with a trail system that stitches together even the most far-flung parts of the city. The concept of permeability by the public led us to propose detaching program elements under a common roof to create breezeways. Those breezeways increase contact between the public and the organization by allowing pedestrians to freely pass through the buildings. It has been an absolute honor to help the GBHS visually articulate their vision as well as leverage it for greater impact on the Birmingham community.