Project name: DoveLewis Emergency Animal Hospital

Location: Portland

Completion: November 2024

Size: 63,520 square feet

Owner/Developer: DoveLewis

Architect: Mackenzie

Interior Designer: Mackenzie

Engineers: PAE, Mackenzie, GRI

General Contractor: Skanska USA Building

Submitting Company: Skanska USA Building

Subcontractors: American Direct, Anning Johnson, Bauwerk Safety Systems, BMS, Cash’s Drapery, Coffman Excavation, Consurco, Corona, Dallas Glass & Window, Dennis’ 7 Dees, Diverse Works, Don Frank Floors, EC Electric, Elder Demolition, ETS-Lindgren, Faithful Fence, Hanset, Harding Steel, Interior Technology, Legend Custom Woodworking, McDonald & Wetle, Ness Campbell Crane, Nugent Masonry, Otis Elevator, Overhead Door, Pacific Foundation, PAS, R2M2 Rebar & Stressing, Sawtooth Caulking, Sign Wizards, Stoncor Group dba Stonehard, Steimer, Viking Automatic Sprinkler, WFJ Janitorial

DoveLewis’ new emergency animal hospital is revolutionizing veterinary care in the Pacific Northwest, offering specialized treatments previously unavailable in Oregon.

The three-story, 63,520-square-foot “Whiskers” building stands in Northwest Portland, just across from DoveLewis’ existing 24/7 emergency clinic. While the original facility continues handling urgent cases, “Whiskers” focuses on specialty care with some of the most advanced medical technology in the country.

The hospital features one of the nation’s most powerful MRI-PET machines, operating at 3 Tesla units compared to the typical 1.5 Teslas. This equipment serves diverse patients – from household cats and dogs to more exotic animals like kangaroos.

The building is an accredited teaching hospital and is one of the only facilities of its kind in the United States. It offers specialty animal care that is not available anywhere else Oregon. The facility includes specialized exam and surgery rooms, oncology and neurology departments, separate feline and canine wards, and three outdoor patios. For staff, amenities include a maternity room, conference space and breakrooms.

Construction presented numerous challenges due to the tight urban site. The building’s footprint is surrounded by four adjacent buildings, some within inches of proximity. The limited space required meticulous planning, with materials ordered months in advance for just-in-time delivery. At peak construction, nearly 100 workers navigated the confined site, requiring daily huddles and weekly meetings to coordinate activities and ensure safety.

The new steel and concrete structure – designed to be seismically resilient with connected brace frames, shotcrete walls and interior steel – combines exterior metal and terracotta wall panels with CMU and features an underground parking garage, automated car stackers and a green roof. Interior finishes consist of standard ACT and hard lids, storage and casework with integral stainless steel, exposed concrete, carpet, and epoxy flooring in rooms needing a higher degree of sanitation.

Visible from above as a distinctive paw print pattern, a vegetated green roof functions as a stormwater filtration system while reducing the heat island effect, lowering energy costs and improving air quality.

During construction, the Skanska team led weekly tours for the client and potential donors to help raise additional funds for the project. One client donor was able to have their dog, Griffin, walk through the concrete in the front lobby and the paw prints were filled with epoxy to memorialize his touch on the hospital.

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