Credit: CECO Building Systems
You won’t find many stray dogs and cats roaming the streets of San Antonio, thanks to a new facility that opened its doors in the fall of 2007 to provide shelter and care for lost and abandoned animals in the community. The 12-building, 38,000-square-foot (3530-m2) complex represents the community’s commitment to becoming no-kill by 2012. It also will provide a much higher degree of care and comfort for its four-footed guests than was possible in the aging and cramped facility it replaced.
Funded by a bond package passed in 2004, the ambitious project was spearheaded by San Antonio’s Animal Care Services, or ACS, which is dedicated to seeing that every animal in the community receives humane, responsible care. The new shelter is a sterling example of those efforts. With its campus-style setting surrounded by plenty of green space, the $12 million facility provides a welcoming atmosphere for potential pet adopters. The shelter sits on 15 acres (6 hectares), permitting ample room for future expansion and allowing a 40 percent increase in kennel space compared to the old shelter. Separate kennel facilities for dogs and cats provide spacious boarding for animals awaiting permanent homes. The kennel for dogs features more than 100 canine runs, and the cat adoption kennel features individual enclosures, as well as a 45-square-foot (4.2-m2) glass-enclosed “kitty condo” where cat lovers can interact with the feline residents. Other highlights of the innovative ACS shelter—which is broader in scope than a typical animal shelter—include a new veterinary clinic with a state-of-the art surgical suite, covered stalls for livestock, a separate sick bay kennel, a housing area for feral cats and “get acquainted” yards.
A Coordinated Effort
All 12 buildings in the facility are pre-engineered metal systems custom designed to meet the strict budget and design parameters of ACS. Cost savings was the primary motivation for using pre-engineered metal construction, but low maintenance, speed of erection and functionality also were key factors.
“The original design for the two administrative buildings called for conventional steel construction, but that was outside the city’s budget, so we had to consider other options,” says Carla Pierce, project manager with designer FisherHeck Architects, San Antonio. “Since all the other buildings in the project were already specified as custom-designed steel structures, changing those two buildings from conventional to custom seemed a good direction.”
The transition was accomplished with no loss of function or appearance to the project while saving a substantial amount of money, notes Doug Nunnelly, secretary-treasurer with San Antonio-based general contractor F.A. Nunnelly Co. “[The metal building] system was the major factor in getting the design back on budget. We were able to reduce a $10 million project bid by about $500,000, or 5 percent,” he says.
Converting from a structural steel design to custom engineering, however, and getting the changes accepted in a reasonable time, required coordination and cooperation from all involved, Nunnelly adds. “The manufacturer sent in a team of professionals to redesign the structures and develop submittals to shorten design and approval time. A delivery schedule was developed to have the buildings fabricated and delivered as the slabs were ready to receive them. Logistics were key. We don’t normally do a project with 12 buildings on one site.”
There was a big commitment to the project being on time and on budget. The manufacturer flew in a drafting manager, detailer and customer representative to an approval meeting with the architect, engineer of record and general contractor. The two-day meeting ensured all measurements were correct and the needed materials were available.
Custom Advantage
In addition to being more cost effective, custom-designed metal building systems offer other advantages compared to conventional steel construction, according to R.B. Morton, division manager with Moore Erection L.P., Garden Ridge, Texas. “We are effectively changing conventional designs to custom-designed metal buildings in facilities like this, which is saving our customers money. A custom-engineered building also allows the architect to dress up the exterior to get the look they want,” he says.
On this project, FisherHeck Architects took full advantage of this design flexibility to improve the aesthetics of the buildings while maximizing their functionality. “We wanted large clear spans in the kennel areas and large overhangs for the visitors, which was possible with custom-engineered metal,” says Pierce. “We also liked that the profile of the gutters matched the profile of the fascia, which gives a clean line to the roof edges. The broad roof lines provide shade for the visitors as they view the animals from outside the buildings.”
The projecting eaves are one of the most unique features of the buildings. They create a welcoming, covered-porch effect and improve energy efficiency by blocking the windows from direct sunlight. The building interiors still receive ample daylighting through raised clerestories along the roof ridgelines, which were incorporated into the custom-engineered system. “The eaves were one of the most difficult features of the buildings to detail and erect, since the roof slopes had to match up with the below-eave slopes at the endwall areas,” Fox recalls.
The roof panels used for the project are a 24-gauge standing seam system. The matte, non-glare finish on the slate gray panels was essential to the project’s approval. “The facility is located next to Lackland Air Force Base, so the roof panels had to be non-glare. Without this, the project might not have happened,” Nunnelly says.
The exterior walls of the buildings are finished with an attractive combination of split-face concrete masonry units and stucco painted a vibrant mauve color to complement the dark gray roof.
Custom engineering shortened overall construction time and kept the project on schedule. Total erection time was about 7 months. “The custom-engineered system was easy to erect, with all the structural components bolted, in lieu of a conventional steel structure that would require bolting and some field welding,” Morton explains.
The public reaction has been positive so far, according to Lisa Norwood, public information officer with ACS. “Our adoption rates have risen. In fiscal year 2007 we adopted 2,625 animals. Last fiscal year when our new shelter opened we increased that to 3,866,” she says. “The shelter also saw a significant reduction in number of animals euthanized from 32,210 [FY’07] to 26,481 [FY’08]. The new shelter is a mixture of steel, glass and love.”
Anne Balogh writes about architecture and metal construction from Glen Ellyn, Ill.