Veterinary + Animal Welfare Architecture
Ellis-Miller + Partners excel in the highly specialised domain of veterinary architecture and animal welfare facility design, where meticulous precision, profound empathy, and extensive expertise converge to deliver exemplary outcomes. Our dedicated team of seasoned architects and specialists possesses a comprehensiveunderstanding of animal behaviour, stringent welfare standards, and the intricate operational demands of veterinary environments.
We design bespoke solutions for veterinary professionals, animal rehoming charities, and leading academic institutions, ensuring that each project optimises animal health, enhances staff efficiency, and adheres to the highest regulatory frameworks. From innovative small animal hospitals and equine diagnostic centres to comprehensive rehoming facilities, our designs integrate cutting-edge functionality with compassionate care, addressing the multifaceted challenges of this sector.
Spearheading our veterinary and animal welfare team is Partner Barry Coupe, whose distinguished career in this field spans over three decades, with a portfolio exceeding 100 projects, Barry leverages his unparalleled depth of experience to pioneer facilities that set benchmarks in animal care and veterinary practice.
His expertise encompasses a diverse array of clients, including virtually all major small animal rehoming charities, bespoke veterinary hospitals for private practices, and ambitious large-scale developments for university faculties of veterinary medicine. This extensive track record underscores our firm’s commitment to excellence, informed by real-world insights gained from hands-on involvement in complex, high-stakes projects.
Equine architecture demands a tailored, evidence-based approach, distinct from small animal facilities, and our team’s profound experience ensures seamless execution. We meticulously address the behavioural nuances of horses throughout surgical and recovery processes. Our expertise extends to stable design, where we prioritise optimal dimensions, superior ventilation, welfare-centric features, and resilient materials.
A hallmark of Barry’s expertise is his pivotal role in designing the Equine Diagnostic Centre for the Royal Veterinary College (RVC), incorporating the world’s first scanner capable of imaging a horse’s entire head and neck, a project that exemplifies our innovative application of experiential knowledge.
We are also expert in designing small animal hospitals, kennels, and rehoming centres, our accumulated experience informs the selection of durable materials resistant to rigorous daily high-pressure cleaning regimes, complemented by anti-slip flooring that safeguards canine pad integrity. To mitigate stress and excessive barking—key behavioural concerns in rehoming settings—our team has developed proprietary systems that foster serene environments, drawing on decades of observational insights.
For feline facilities, we implement specialised constraints, such as negative pressure ventilation systems to curtail the transmission of contagious diseases like cat flu, as successfully deployed in the National Cat Centre for Cats Protection.
