Olive Branch Animal Shelter

The city of Olive Branch required a new animal shelter to replace an aging shelter that had previously served a different entity and use. The new shelter meets the vital needs of the community in receiving animals and preparing them for adoption, a service which has grown substantially as the city has grown. Meeting the needs of over 85 animals, the shelter provides an abundance of accommodations and service spaces including dog kennels, isolation spaces for both dogs and cats, examination room with pharmacy, dog wash room, laundry, food storage rooms, office spaces, and an adoption room where adopters can interact with animals in making the decision to home an animal.

The building is a simple gable structure with long and slender proportions. Its wood structure is wrapped in a skin of simple and common cladding materials. Effort was intentional in detailing the cladding to achieve the cleanest and most refined skin possible. The roof is a uniform gable consistent along the length of the building. The ridgeline is interrupted only at the entrance where the roof rises in height to create greater volume and highlight the entrance. Additionally, the exterior façade pushes inward and changes material and color to further accentuate the entrance. The elements work collectively in producing a building that is modestly scaled yet extremely impactful. Its use of simple materials, focused detailing, and subtle volumetric shifts result in a unique building that contributes to the architectural fabric of this small town.