'Pod' concept considered for Jackson Co. animal shelter

ATLANTA - Urban Design Group (UDG), an award-winning architectural firm,
is volunteering their services to design an animal shelter for the Humane Society of Jackson County (HSJC).

The facility will be the first animal shelter in Jackson County.

"When I originally heard about the need for an animal shelter in Jackson County, I discussed the situation with my partners," said UDG's Ken Rhyne. "Our professional culture encourages volunteering and giving back to the community, and we take on select pro bono projects where our expertise can make a significant and positive difference. We are extremely pleased to be a part of this effort."

UDG has been working with the HSJC since September 2011. The architectural firm formally presented a rendering of the proposed facility at the recent Fur Ball, a fundraising event Humane Society.

"The road toward our shelter has been long, and it was so fulfilling and awesome to see it illustrated on paper," said Roxane Rose, President of the HSJC. "I was just speechless when I first saw the renderings, which made it feel real and that much closer to reality.

We are so thankful and humbled to have the pro bono support of UDG. Having a
world-renowned firm with the reputation like UDG gives us a huge amount of
credibility that will help substantially with our fundraising."

ABOUT UDG's PROPOSED DESIGN SOLUTION

"In working through space programming with the HSJC, we discovered the individual spaces were best grouped by function," explained UDG's Matt Mitchell. "Our design solution had to meet a conservative budget, allow for flexibility and accommodate future expansion. The facilities also had to be environmentally sensitive and appropriate in context for the area. As a result, the spaces evolved into discrete individual buildings or Pods."

The Pod concept calls for smaller buildings, of varied forms, built over time from indigenous materials, sited for maximum efficiency thus promoting minimum site disturbance.

The Pod concept provides a kit of parts that can be built over time. Pods can be repeated as needed for expansion and allow the HSJC to build only what is needed at any given time.

"By synthesizing the program, budget, site, context, aesthetics and schedule, UDG created a design for the HSJC that is truly holistic," said Mitchell. "From initial design and construction through the entire life cycle of the facility, we have created a solution that will meet the needs of its owners, employees, customers, guests and or course, of the animals. We are honored to share
our talents to help such a great cause."