Blacktown Animal Rehoming Centre (BARC)

The design of Blacktown Animal Rehoming Centre (BARC) balances the highly technical requirements of animal welfare with the need for a safe workplace and welcoming adoption centre. BARC comprises a set of separate, elongated buildings; of ‘fingers’, reaching toward the woodlands of the Western Sydney Parklands. These ‘fingers’ maximise cross-ventilation and solar access, and prioritise proximity to nature, reducing stress and improving health of staff and animals. Each building is drawn together and linked via a bold colour scheme and a 120m long, 4.5m high, multi-coloured artwork – a collaboration with a local artist - that evokes the plumage of native birds, and unifies, screens, and protects from the street the activity within. As a council operated facility, BARC must accept all animals brought in by council rangers or citizens. Each is quarantined, given health checks, vaccinated, desexed, fed, washed; and then nursed back to physical and mental health – ready for adoption. It was our role to design a centre that facilitated the rehabilitation of animals, promoted their adoption, excited and educated its visitors about pet ownership, and promoted the mental health of the staff. The light-filled civic reception building has an iconic, open, easy-to-find entrance. The secure and welcoming environment features ‘homely’ viewing rooms for potential pet adopters. The multipurpose area provides public education programs to maximise animal retention rates. BARC’s robust shed typology is at home within an industrial estate full of large metal sheds, however, unlike its neighbours, this project demonstrates the power of colour to engage people and communicate ideas that enhance community and wellbeing in even the most pragmatic of building typologies. The facility sits lightly in an extensive landscaped area, with drought tolerant, shade-giving and low maintenance planting. The landscape acts as bio filtration at multiple points, promoting stormwater intake across the site. Two large rainwater tanks capture the roof water which is reused for the extensive cleaning needs of the facility. Hygienic, durable, robust, low maintenance and easy-to-clean materials were chosen. Sustainable features include passive thermal comfort through maximising cross ventilation, solar access, water retention, together with sustainable technologies such as a 99 kWh solar PV array, EV car chargers and heat exchange air-conditioning. The design allows the animals to have a direct connection to the surrounding landscape, increasing their interaction with nature and people. The layout maximises thermal, visual and aural comfort, minimises distress, assists with rehabilitation, and provides amenity for staff.