The Cumberland Valley Animal Shelter provides a safe, temporary home for animals as they make the transition from one owner to the next. The new building is the first animal shelter in Pennsylvania that is registered with the United States Green Building Council. This 12,600 square foot, single story structure is designed with 58 dog partitions, 57 cat condos, and several enclosures for other small animals. The building design used a minimum footprint, allowing for reuse of most of the existing onsite infrastructure, and ensuring the conservation of the natural terrain surrounding the site.
The building has been designed to capture roof water, which will be used to clean the dogs living quarters, and will help reduce the size of the storm water management pond.
Architecturally, the shelter is designed to blend in with the local environment. The exterior of the building features natural earth tone colors made from locally produced split face masonry. The windows and trim are green in color and contain recycled material. The white TPO roofing will reflect heat away from the building.
Sky lighting provides natural illumination for the animals. A sophisticated ventilation system was designed to control the spread of disease.
Epoxy flooring, solid surface materials, and commercial storefronts are used throughout the animal housing areas to provide ease of cleaning and to guard against the spread of disease.