The relocation of the Newcastle RSPCA animal shelter and Veterinary Clinic is the first major project completed by RSPCA NSW in over 30 years. The completed facility provides a full veterinary hospital, animal shelter (adoption animals and administration), and accommodation for dogs, cats, horses, birds, puppies, pocket pets and native animals.

The main administration building consists of slab on ground, block veneer, steel frame and truss, metal roof construction. The project has extensive use of concrete, including floor slabs, masonry, in-ground stormwater tanks, pre-cast kennels and drainage channels. Services to the site include solar/gas powered hydronic in-slab heating to the kennels, 100,000 litre on-site stormwater storage, extensive solids-retention requirements for animal waste and complete fresh air air-conditioning systems.

As the first project of this type for the RSPCA, numerous design details and end-user requirements were required to be resolved as the project progressed. North’s worked closely with the architect and consultants, often proposing solutions to problems on the job that enabled the project to progress with minimal cost and disruption.