flexiblefullpage -
billboard - default
interstitial1 - interstitial
catfish1 - bottom
Currently Reading

Texas pet shelter uses tubular daylighting devices to enhance adoptions

Daylighting Technology

Texas pet shelter uses tubular daylighting devices to enhance adoptions

Natural light from tubular daylighting devices has fostered a healthier atmosphere and improved pet adoptions at an animal services facility in Grapevine, Texas.


By Solatube International | March 19, 2024
Grapevine Texas pet shelter with Solatube TDD
The new Animal Services Shelter and Adoption Center in Grapevine, Texas, used Solatube Tubular Daylighting Devices to bring sunlight into windowless interior spaces. Photo: Courtesy Solatube International

The new 13,245-sf Grapevine (Texas) Animal Services Shelter and Adoption Center stands as a vital hub for the local community. Committed to promoting pet adoptions and ensuring the welfare of animals, the shelter plays a pivotal role in adoptions, humane law enforcement, and wildlife concerns.

The shelter's mission centers on fostering a nurturing environment conducive to successful pet adoptions, and the staff had specific ideas about how the new center should look and function. The challenge for Quorum Architects in designing the new facility was to prioritize the health and comfort of the animals, uplift staff morale, and create an inviting atmosphere for visitors – all to encourage potential adopters to feel comfortable and engage with the animals, facilitating the adoption process.

 

Grapevine TX Animal Services Shelter and Adoption Center
Quorum Architects designed the exterior of the animal shelter and adoption center to create a welcoming atmosphere from the street and parking lot. Photo: Courtesy Solatube International

 

Quorum Architects designed the facility to optimize not only its welcoming exterior presentation, but also its interior functionality, introducing specialized areas such as indoor cat condos, play yards for dogs, and a get-to-know courtyard where potential pet owners can bond with their future companions. A heated and ventilated drive-thru sally port ensures secure and comfortable animal delivery and transfer. 

Inside, dedicated zones were established for offices, laundry, medical services, recovery areas, grooming spaces, and isolation/quarantine areas – all with the goald of catering to the diverse needs of the animals under care and the shelter's operational efficiency.

DAYLIGHTING FOR ANIMAL AND STAFF WELL-BEING

 Recognizing the pivotal role of daylight in promoting animal and staff well-being, Grapevine Animal Services pursued a design strategy centered on infusing its interior spaces with abundant natural light. To do so, Quorum Architects collaborated with NTX Building Products, the local Solatube International distributor, to integrate nine units of SolaMaster 750 DS into the facility.

Solatube Tubular Daylighting Devices harvest daylight at the rooftop, transfer it down a highly reflective tube, and distribute it evenly into an interior space through a diffuser at the ceiling — on both sunny and cloudy days — without adding heat or cold into the interior space.

Unlike traditional skylights, Solatube TDDs are designed to be reconfigurable over time and to reduce glare and inconsistent light patterns while screening UV and infrared wavelengths that can fade finishes and overheat interiors.

 

Grapevine TX pet shelter with Solatube TDDs
Solatube SolaMaster 750 DS TDDs brighten the interior of the animal services facility in Grapevine, Texas.  Photo: Courtesy Solatube International

 

Natural light plays a vital role both in enhancing the overall well-being of shelter animals and in creating a more favorable environment for successful adoptions. (See Heemstra, E.M. [2013], “Shedding a light on animal shelters: the use of light and its effect on the adoption process,” University of Twente.)

Daylight, when used as an interior source of lighting, has been shown to reinforce circadian rhythms, benefiting both the animals and the staff. It also boosts animals' mood by increasing serotonin levels thus reducing stress and anxiety commonly observed in shelter animals.

Reducing stress levels is pivotal as it enables animals to showcase their genuine personalities and engage more effectively with prospective adopters. Natural daylight has an inherent ability to enhance an animal's appeal by highlighting the coat's sheen, the sparkle in their eyes and an overall vibrant and healthy appearance.

The culmination of these benefits, coupled with the creation of a welcoming ambiance and a bright, inviting atmosphere, encourages potential adopters to engage more extensively with the animals, ultimately resulting in higher adoption rates.

SHELTER MANAGER CITES POSITIVE IMPACT OF DAYLIGHTING

"Prioritizing natural daylight with Solatube Tubular Daylighting Devices has significantly enhanced our new shelter and adoption center,” said Kristina Valentine, CAWA, Animal Services Manager, Grapevine Animal Services Shelter and Adoption Center. “The abundance of natural light has positively impacted our environment, reducing stress, improving moods, and fostering a healthier atmosphere for all. It's been transformative for our animals, staff and visitors alike."

Grapevine pet center Solatube TDDs
The facility's manager said the Solatube Daylighting Devices have reduced stress for the animals, staff, and visitors. Photo: Courtesy Solatube International

Related Stories

ProConnect Events | Apr 23, 2024

5 more ProConnect events scheduled for 2024, including all-new 'AEC Giants'

SGC Horizon present 7 ProConnect events in 2024.

75 Top Building Products | Apr 22, 2024

Enter today! BD+C's 75 Top Building Products for 2024

BD+C editors are now accepting submissions for the annual 75 Top Building Products awards. The winners will be featured in the November/December 2024 issue of Building Design+Construction. 

Sustainability | Apr 8, 2024

3 sustainable design decisions to make early

In her experience as an architect, Megan Valentine AIA, LEED AP, NCARB, WELL AP, Fitwel, Director of Sustainability, KTGY has found three impactful sustainable design decisions: site selection, massing and orientation, and proper window-to-wall ratios.

75 Top Building Products | Dec 13, 2023

75 top building products for 2023

From a bladeless rooftop wind energy system, to a troffer light fixture with built-in continuous visible light disinfection, innovation is plentiful in Building Design+Construction's annual 75 Top Products report. 

Products and Materials | Jul 31, 2023

Top building products for July 2023

BD+C Editors break down 15 of the top building products this month, from cleanroom doors to window storm protection systems.

Apartments | Jun 27, 2023

Dallas high-rise multifamily tower is first in state to receive WELL Gold certification

HALL Arts Residences, 28-story luxury residential high-rise in the Dallas Arts District, recently became the first high-rise multifamily tower in Texas to receive WELL Gold Certification, a designation issued by the International WELL Building Institute. The HKS-designed condominium tower was designed with numerous wellness details.

K-12 Schools | May 25, 2023

From net zero to net positive in K-12 schools

Perkins Eastman’s pursuit of healthy, net positive schools goes beyond environmental health; it targets all who work, teach, and learn inside them.

Intelligent Lighting | Feb 13, 2023

Exploring intelligent lighting usage in healthcare, commercial facilities

SSR's Todd Herrmann, PE, LEEP AP, explains intelligent lighting's potential use cases in healthcare facilities and more.

K-12 Schools | Dec 23, 2022

Vacant Target store in Minnesota turned into early childhood education center

Lincoln School, a former 90,000-sf Target retail store in Fergus Falls, Minn., was repurposed into Independent School District 544’s newest campus.

75 Top Building Products | Nov 30, 2022

75 top building products for 2022

Each year, the Building Design+Construction editorial team evaluates the vast universe of new and updated products, materials, and systems for the U.S. building design and construction market. The best-of-the-best products make up our annual 75 Top Products report. 

boombox1 - default
boombox2 -
native1 -

More In Category



Sustainability

3 sustainable design decisions to make early

In her experience as an architect, Megan Valentine AIA, LEED AP, NCARB, WELL AP, Fitwel, Director of Sustainability, KTGY has found three impactful sustainable design decisions: site selection, massing and orientation, and proper window-to-wall ratios.


halfpage1 -

Most Popular Content

  1. 2021 Giants 400 Report
  2. Top 150 Architecture Firms for 2019
  3. 13 projects that represent the future of affordable housing
  4. Sagrada Familia completion date pushed back due to coronavirus
  5. Top 160 Architecture Firms 2021