The Village vet is set inside the Downer Shops heritage precinct. The buildings which make up the Downer community centre and shops, were built for the CSIRO in 1930’s as an agricultural research facility. The buildings were restored between 2015-2018, with a cafe, a hairdresser, a wine and book shop, and our project; the Village Vet.

We were delighted to be able to contribute to our clients vision of a vet hospital and clinic that prioritises a fear free animal environment. Architecturally we were able to emphasise the existing character of the heritage building by exposing the 85 year old brick walls and solid timber framed trusses to create a two level facility that complimented the delivery of services envisioned.

The facility is designed to incorporate two separate circulation paths, one for feline pets, and the other for dogs and other animals,. Each and every consultation room or waiting area is considered with respect to creating a fear free environment to reduce the stress for people and their pets when they are in need of veterinary services (is this needed).

The interior architectural expression consists of clean lines for ease of maintenance and to highlight the old character of the building. The front of house is carefully proportioned with natural and artificial light that brings calm to the space, and allows the visitor to engage with the external landscaped courtyard fronting the shops. The high ceiling and expressed original timber trusses are complimented with a wall constructed of birch ply with a light white wash that separates the public area from the consultation rooms and the back of house hospital function.

Finally, in the words of our client:

“So after decades of witnessing the “white coat” effect on our clients and patients, we’ve made it our mission to design a ‘fear free’ hospital environment. One that feels more like a home and less like a medical facility. Our priority is to provide your family with a more comfortable and more caring experience.”