Case Study:
DogsWorld Resort

An entire world devoted to your best friend​

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Treat Dogs As Respected Family Members

Driven by the commitment to “treat dogs as respected family members who deserve the best care possible when they can’t be with their families,” Justin Phillips opened DogsWorld  Resort.

 

Based in Jupiter, Florida, the DogsWorld team has been caring for animals since 2013. This luxury resort and daycare facility is committed to supporting all dogs and donates a portion of their proceeds every year to animal rescues, service dog training & placements, and care & placement for retired military dogs.

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In 2016, Katie Bergel joined the team as the Operations Manager and as of 2022 serves as the General Manager and one of the Partners. DogsWorld continues to be an award winning facility in the Palm Beach area.

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Renovations By Animal Care Experts

Budgets can be tight for animal care facilities. When it is time to make repairs or renovations to a facility, folks do not always get what they paid for in the end.

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DogsWorld wanted to renovate the second floor mezzanine of their existing daycare and boarding facility. It was important that the facility remain operational and open during the construction process. Katie shares, “it was an existing space but so many contractors had butchered it that it needed to be redone.”

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Most recently, they hired a general contractor, who mapped a 6-week building project, to handle the construction. Quickly, due to the specialized nature of this building type, they realized they needed a partner with animal care engineering and design expertise to provide design direction for the project.

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After getting a referral from a trusted colleague, Katie contracted Design Learned to step in. Katie shares, “We don’t have the engineering and building expertise to hold contractors accountable. We needed a partner that knew what they were doing and to make sure the work was done right. Scott and the Design Learned Team are our warranty policy!”

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Partner with Animal Care Facility Experts

Workers in animal care facilities wear many hats. But, a few hats they should not be forced to wear are that of an animal care facility design expert, a licensed professional engineer, or a building designer - those are hats that the design team at Design Learned wears for their clients!

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Throughout the DogsWorld second floor renovation, the Design Learned team:

 

• Provided support for various municipality approvals required for the project

• Understood the unique challenges that animal care facilities face verse general contracting solutions that may work in other settings

• Engineered animal care solutions to fit DogsWorld’s need within the relatively small space

• Designed the interior space to include cleaning systems and flooring & finishes appropriate for an animal care environment

• Renovated a second floor mezzanine space to maximize space and reduce animal stress

• Provided assistance through vendor interactions to identify proper enclosures and flooring decisions

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Exceeding Building Expectations

Increase the Efficiency of the Layout

Design Learned initiated the design process for the upstairs renovation in 2022. The Design Learned team of building engineers and interior designers invested time to increase the efficiency of the client’s proposed layout. When working in small spaces (~2,000 square footage), it is essential to maximize what is possible through proper space planning and engineering.​

 

Design Learned designed a layout intended to increase the number of dogs that DogsWorld could support by:

 

• Including various types of enclosures, including luxury suites

• Creating a lower-stress environment with fewer dogs per room

• Designing smaller, more intimate environments to reduce visual and auditory stress

• Including a corridor so that dogs do not have to walk through other dog spaces

• Making more informed decisions on flooring, finishes, and cleaning systems for an animal care facility

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Construction Documents

 

With the design and layout approved, Design Learned developed all the Construction Documents necessary to get municipal approvals for construction. These documents included interior, mechanical, electrical, and plumbing drawings for the local Building Department to review and approve. Throughout this phase, the Design Learned team provided revisions to the drawings based on client requests and additional municipal requirements.

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A notable aspect about this renovation includes the caging used for animal housing and interior finishes for the second floor. The Design Learned team worked closely with Justin, Katie, the contractor, and the caging vendor to ensure everything would fit properly in the space.

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Working with the Local Building Department

Throughout the building journey, facilities work with their local Planning & Zoning

and Building Departments at varying points. Design Learned proved helpful to the DogsWorld team as there were some unique requirements that needed to be resolved. Some of the challenges included:

 

• Exterior Equipment Screening

• Adequate Green Spaces on the Site

• Potential Parking Considerations

• Exterior Mechanical Equipment Placement

• Additional Foliage Needs

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Construction Administration

Flexible Support throughout the Building Journey

This project is a unique example of the flexible support the Design Learned team offers clients. Technically, construction began for the renovation in 2022 before Design Learned was involved, as the DogsWorld team was already working with a general contractor. Once the Design Learned team was onboarded, construction paused so that the Design Learned team could evaluate the facility requirements, create an efficient layout, and provide construction documents accordingly. In early 2024, after design and a very long & extended municipal approval process, construction resumed with Design Learned providing construction administration. Construction was completed for the upstairs renovation in late 2024.​

 

Extensive Knowledge to Oversee Vendors

 

The Design Learned team can provide construction administration services to clients. These services allow animal care facility experts to oversee the work of vendors and the general contractor throughout construction.

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With extensive knowledge, the Design Learned team...

 

• Ensures the vendors are installing the specified equipment correctly (for example: animal enclosures or veterinary equipment)

• Observes the construction to ensure the proper materials are used and engineered systems are installed and working correctly

• May require a contractor to redo any work that is not in conformance with the construction documents

• Reviews submittals & questions on the construction documents from the contractor

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Design Learned Advantage

“I need their opinion on every spec of the building”

 

When reflecting on her experience with Design Learned through this renovation, Katie shares,“I’ve actually learned so much from them and this whole construction process. Now that we see how much knowledge they have, I need their opinion on every spec of the building! We are already working with them on our lobby and grooming area down stairs.”