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Architect Gus Hinojosa with his bulldog, Petunia; portrait by Kelsey Foster

Pet Project

by Carla Jordan | Modern Luxury Dallas magazine | January 6, 2012

Animal lovers are howling with delight as the new $10.5 million SPCA of Texas Jan Rees-Jones Animal Care Center opens its doors this month. Designed by Dallas architect Gus Hinojosa, this is a stunning, full-service animal adoption center/shelter with a design unique to any other shelter in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. “The design is all about the animals and creating a ‘wow’ factor when entering the central atrium,” says Hinojosa. Indeed. Massive black and white dog and cat images dominate the soaring atrium. Adoptable dogs are housed in glass-front, jewel box-hued pods while felines are at home in the circular Nemo-esque “Cat Rotunda,” a larger-than-life fishbowl setting that visitors can enter. Sleek, clean-lined with bold focal points—this is inspiring modern design in an unexpected setting. It’s a must-see. And, while you’re there, adopt a pet. Hinojosa Architecture & Interiors, 6116 N. Central Expressway, Ste. 806, 214.923.6433, hinojosa-ai.com; SPCA of Texas Jan Rees-Jones Animal Care Center, 2400 Lone Star Drive, 214.742.7722, spca.org