A redesign for an animal shelter in St. Louis works to make a space warmer and fuzzier than the usual pound to encourage adoption. HOK Architects, the pro bono designers, are pursuing a LEED Platinum rating for the pet palace.
"In their studies, HOK found that daylight was the biggest factor in making dogs and cats calmer and therefore more adoptable. Under LEED, points can be garnered by having daylighting and views. Skylights help dogs know the patterns of the sun. Cats thrive when they have a window to look out of, preferably if there's a bird feeder outside (cat TV). While the requirements are strict about the height of windows for human occupants, the USGBC allowed for shorter window heights for non-humans.
Runoff water will be collected in tanks and treated so it can be used to clean cages. A green roof is planned for part of the roof. And there will be solar panels to generate electricity."
FULL STORY: Animal House In St. Louis, LEED Platinum for Dogs and Cats
Fourth Ward Project Aims for Sustainability on Atlanta's Beltline
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Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
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Chicago’s Ghost Rails
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Amtrak Cutting Jobs, Funding to High-Speed Rail
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Ohio Forces Data Centers to Prepay for Power
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MARTA CEO Steps Down Amid Citizenship Concerns
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Silicon Valley ‘Bike Superhighway’ Awarded $14M State Grant
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Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
Caltrans
City of Fort Worth
Mpact (founded as Rail~Volution)
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
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