Foster Animal Hospital Nearing Completion

PAYETTE is nearing completion of the new Foster Hospital for Small Animals Renovation & Addition, for the renowned Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine at Tufts University. The project includes 18,000 sf of interior renovations of the hospital’s existing clinical spaces, as well as a 4,000 sf two-story addition at the front of the hospital, which will serve as its main entry and face toward the street.

In-progress view of the addition from across Westboro Road, with existing hospital in the background.

The geometry of the addition is composed of a series of zinc-coated copper planes, which fold at various angles in relation to the internal program, and are then infilled with vertical planes of glass curtainwall to create the building enclosure. The addition is intended to reflect the geometry of the existing red brick hospital, while departing from its repetitive pitched roof aesthetic with its more distinctive form, and introducing of a new palette of contemporary materials.

In-progress view of new main entry into the hospital waiting room.

As the building starts to come together, one of the more compelling parts of the exterior design is the “knuckle”, where the building bends softly away from the existing hospital toward the new entry, and the upper and lower volumes fold into each other. The result is a series of rooms that are readable as separate but intertwined spaces. This is appropriate for a building that is at once part of a campus fabric, and an object onto itself.

In-progress view of “knuckle”, with waiting room below and new conference room above.

Wood ceilings in the addition provide a link between the exterior swoop of the roof form and the interior experience of the waiting and conference rooms. This connection is visible from the entry into the site, which is below the elevation of the building, providing an additional façade to the building, from below. Smaller details of the public interior cater to the users, pets and their owners. A cat-specific waiting room is provided for extra comfort, a dog drinking fountain has been installed, cubbies in the millwork benches provide a comfortable nook for dogs to lay in and a radiant floor is installed to provide a comfortable surface for the pets to wait on. These details were incorporated to create a comfortable and relaxing space for the clients and patients.

In-progress view of the interior.

The largest phase of the project will wrap up in early September with the new addition and renovations open to the public. The final phase of renovations will be completed in December 2016.