© 2007. barry d. yatt. all rights reserved. 1 takoma park dog lounge lets know jack: jottings from...

© 2007. Barry D. Yatt. All rights reserved. 1

Takoma Park Dog Lounge

Let’s Know Jack:

Jottings from the Client


MemoReasons for doing the project:

1. We are both dog lovers.

2. We fell in love with Takoma Park, and moved here several years ago. And we believe in the idea of a strong local community.

3. We think there is a need for this kind of facility in Takoma Park. It is a traditional small town kind of area; many of the neighbors have dogs. It will nicely complement other nearby businesses such as The Big Bad Woof/Paws of Enchantment pet furnishings store up the block, and the Takoma Park Animal Clinic (Dr. Joanne Carey and Pat Kriemelmeyer’s veterinary office) both about a half-mile east on Carroll Ave.

4. I have been working for a dog grooming place in Arlington, VA, and the commute finally got to me.

5. I’ve been walking dogs as a side business for several years now, and it was time, with some added services, to open my own business anyway. This may not make me rich, but Cairn and I are banking, quite literally, on it being our ticket to retirement some day.

6. That almost abandoned parking lot has been an eyesore ever since the drive-in bank moved out (actually it was an eyesore while they were still there, too, just more trafficked).

Here is the first part of a memo attached to the letter that Jack sent. We’ll see the rest later.


That’s a lot of words. How an earth am I supposed to get architectural meaning and design direction out of it all?

A key rule of management is that big challenges become manageable when broken down into smaller challenges.

I’ll apply that thinking.




How do I use this bit of Gathered data? Can I Enhance, Notice, and Translate using it?• Ask: What do Jack and Cairn’s motivations imply for the design of their project?• Enhance: We are both dog lovers. (The facts are given a hierarchy.)• Notice: Since, apparently, the clients love dogs, they…

A. May love spending time with dogs.

B. May love hearing and/or telling dog stories, or enabling others to do so.

C. May want to make sure that project is designed to minimize stress for the dogs.

D. May prioritize their dog “customers” above their human customers.• Translate: Design options might include… (imagine a sketch with each)

A. Providing a space and time for people to talk about their dogs.

B. Providing a place and way to display photos of their “clients”.

C. Designing the project for a dog’s aesthetics: Give it the scale of a dog. Use colors that dogs respond to favorably in spite of their limited color vision. Select materials based on smell considerations.

D. Creating “family” spaces where dogs and their owners can have privacy.

I’ll look at one bit of information at a time, starting with statement #1.


One the question was asked…

The first statement was gathered—a simple fact: We are both dog lovers

The second statement was enhanced—the simple fact was given hierarchy: We are both dog lovers.

The third statement was noticed—the pattern in, or meaning of, the ordered facts was noted.

The fourth statement was translated—alternative design options were derived from the noted pattern or meaning. Such options should be… • non-comprehensive and unbundled (in ignorance of the other facts and assessments)• sketched, conceptually, where possible (unlike this example—it was possible but I

don’t have a digitizer to help me sketch with my computer)

With this is mind, I’ll go back to that memo and try to enhance the rest of it a little.









Again, the first part of the memo looked like this—six statements: Gather









I can impose some order on the statements. Enhance


This helps already.

I’ll look at a few other statements from this memo and see what I can do with them.

Let’s continue with statement #2…



• Ask: Still the same—what do Jack and Cairn’s motivations imply for the design of their project?

• Gather and Enhance: We fell in love with Takoma Park, and moved here several years ago. And we believe in the idea of a strong local community.

• Notice: Clients like it the way it is. And it’s unlikely that they’ll want to upset their neighbors. Be careful when proposing ideas that might conflict with the feel of Takoma Park.

• Translate: Design in a contextual way, behaviorally if not stylistically. Stylistically, maybe it can depart from precedent—Takoma Park seems to have a liberal tradition—so long as it accommodates the needed activities and behaviors.

(Add a sketch or several sketches here.)

Statement #2.



• Ask: Still the same

• Gather and Enhance: We think there is a need for this kind of facility in Takoma Park. It is a traditional small town kind of area; many of the neighbors have dogs. It will nicely complement other nearby businesses such as The Big Bad Woof/Paws of Enchantment pet furnishings store up the block, and the Takoma Park Animal Clinic (Dr. Joanne Carey and Pat Kriemelmeyer’s veterinary office) both about a half-mile east on Carroll Ave.

• Notice: Since Jack has already confirmed this, maybe I don’t need to. Discuss with him and Cairn whether they want us to repeat his research.

• Translate: Maybe there are no design cues to be taken from this particular fact. (Some research leads to dead ends.) Or maybe a little more effort should go into considering this analysis.

Statement #3.



• Ask: Still the same

• Gather and Enhance: That almost abandoned parking lot has been an eyesore ever since the drive-in bank moved out (actually it was an eyesore while they were still there, too, just more trafficked).

• Notice: If this is a widely held perception, the neighbors might be predisposed to favor the project, so long as it buries the parking lot.

• Translate: Perhaps locate any required parking spaces in the rear of the property.

(Add a sketch or several sketches here.)

Statement #6 (I skipped ahead).


At this point, you likely get the idea.

Rather than demonstrate any more, the following slides simply show the rest of Jack’s memo.


Activities to take place in the proposed building

1. Dogs will be groomed. Shampoos and hair cuts will be typical, but we will also provide flea treatments and rabies vaccines. (Once a week Dr. Carey will visit to administer the vaccines.) This gets a bit messy and wet. We’d like 4 grooming stations, each with a spray hose, tub, floor drain, and shelves for storage of grooming tools (clippers, combs, blow driers, etc.) and various shampoos and other products.

2. We will operate a “doggie day care” facility for owners who work too many hours and don’t want their pets to be lonely, with a kennel for temporary boarding of perhaps ten dogs maximum while their owners are away or occupied for several days (or maybe even weeks) at a time. It’s important that this kennel be well lit during the day, but views can be a problem—the sight of a mailman or ambulance or squirrel can get the dogs to barking. Speaking of which, acoustics is a major issue. If we can’t keep the noise inside, our neighbors will be very unhappy. We understand that well insulated walls combined with laminated glass in the windows (when they’re closed) will handle the situation.

3. We will run an obedience school where up to 6 (maybe 8 or even 10, but probably not) dogs and their owners will take classes. In nice weather, we’d like the option of doing this outside.

GatherMemo


MemoActivities to take place in the proposed building (continued)

4. We will operate a dog walking service. Our store will need a “mud room” where we can keep leashes and clean off dogs (if needed) just back from a walk.

5. We will sell dog food and dog care products (shampoo, nail clippers, etc.), but not accessories (collars, leashes, etc) so as not to compete with The Big Bad Woof.

6. We’ll have a dog-themed coffee house/pub where dog owners will be able to relax and socialize, with or without their pets, in the company of other “dog people”, whether waiting for their pets or not.

Gather


Target market population:

The primary market segment is people who own dogs but need help caring for them. This could be for several reasons:

1. Dog owners who need substantial help due to time limitations, especially if they are their dog’s only source of care. When there is only one person, or perhaps several people who are all too busy (people who really perhaps shouldn’t own dogs to begin with until their lives become less busy), our services become critical.

2. Dog owners who need substantial help, perhaps due to disability or age. We even have some funds available to help those in this group who can’t afford our usual charges.

3. Dog owners who opt for substantial help. They generally aren’t interested in learning how to provide care beyond feeding and walking and can afford to have someone else do it.

4. Dog owners who opt for once-in-a-while care. These people are interested, able, and can take turns caring for their dogs: When dogs are owned by families or groups of people, there is usually more than one person capable and available to provide the care. In such cases, they may bring their dogs in only occasionally for a grooming.

5. People who just love dogs and enjoy socializing with other dog lovers.

GatherMemo


MemoAs for user groups, there are:

1. The owners themselves, including

A. Family people—adults and children—together or separately. We expect that sometimes kids will come by without their parents, particularly those who live nearby who will walk.

B. Singles: Previously married or not. Of all ages, from college age (The Catholic University and University of Maryland are nearby) to mid-career people (some of who don’t have as much time as they should to care for their pets), to retirees. Some are interested in meeting people, whether as friends or romantic interests; some are not.

C. Married without children: Those who haven’t had kids or empty nesters whose kids have left home.

D. The extended Takoma Park community is fairly diversified in terms of ethnicity, age, economic class, religion and sexual orientation, although it is not as diversified in terms of race. Takoma is in the District and Takoma Park is in Montgomery County, MD.

Gather


Memo2. The dogs: These are our real clients. And truth be told, if they are happy, their owners are happy.

Happy owners are our primary client base.

A. Our clients’ dogs: Generally well cared for, although not always. We’ll take dogs of any size (4 pounders up to 160), age, sex, or breed (in most cases including even pit bulls)—you might call us an equal-opportunity dog enterprise.

B. Dogs we rescue or that are brought to us by people who find them, or who are brought by the county to be treated (if needed) and/or offered for adoption. We get a few such animals each month.

Gather


MemoIntended atmosphere

1. For dogs, comfortable. We don’t want our place to look like a veterinary hospital. And since we won’t be performing surgeries here, it doesn’t need to.

2. For dog owners, comfortable as well. What that means, exactly, we’re happy leaving up to you to make suggestions.

3. For the community and neighbors, we want to be a good neighbor.

A. Want to feel welcoming

B. Be vandal and graffiti resistant.

C. We want to be clean and minimize the odors and noise coming from our facility.

Gather


MemoProgram spaces: Indoor

1. A grooming room

2. A classroom (for obedience training)

3. A kennel. Food prep and clean up areas, and cages.

4. A mud-room as a transition for walks

5. A lounge. It might hold up to 16 or 20 people and their dogs—certainly no larger. We don’t want a commercial kitchen or a liquor license or health department hassles. Maybe we could sell wrapped sandwiches and sealed beverages prepared elsewhere. Include a couple of refrigerated cases, a countertop, and a cash register, with stools and tables or maybe just a few sofas and stuffed chairs.

6. An entrance and waiting area. This will be where people bring and pick up their pets, but also where the county’s animal control agents will come when necessary.

7. A small staff room or space so employees can go somewhere to sit for a few minutes when on break.

8. A manager’s office for me (and my wife on occasion).

9. Bathrooms, to be shared by employees and human customers.

Gather


MemoProgram spaces: Outdoor

1. A “bark and ride” drop-off and pick-up zone

2. A few parking spaces for our employees and the van we will use to bring dogs boarded at our kennel to a nearby dog park to run around.

3. Additional parking as required by the zoning ordinance. We expect that many of our customers (both two and four legged) will walk.

4. Twelve parking spaces adjacent to the crafts store in the existing corner building for its tenants and their customers.

5. We don’t want a traditional fenced-in outdoor area for dogs’ exercise since we will walk them.

Gather


MemoEquipment

1. A refrigerator somewhere for perishable dog foods and occasional medical supplies.

2. A storeroom for our inventory of care products and food used in the kennel.

3. A trash and recyclables area for paper trash, garbage (leftover dog food) and droppings (held in a special container to be picked up daily by a private disposal service).

4. And of course, mechanical equipment space as needed.

Gather


MemoThe property

1. We put a deposit on it just last week and we hope to close on the property soon.

2. It consists of six parcels of land totaling about two-thirds of an acre.

3. There’s currently a two-story brick building on it built in 1933 that houses a crafts store. It will remain as is.

4. Next to that, in the parking lot, is a one-story booth from back when there used to be a drive-through bank in the corner building; I plan to tear it down.

Critical Project Issues:

5. Noise control

6. Fur control

7. Pest control (rats like dog food)

8. Odor control

Gather


And now I can really do some work planning.

© 2007. barry d. yatt. all rights reserved. 1 takoma park dog lounge lets know jack: jottings from...

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