The center’s West Burnside facility is located in an early twentieth century building with a history as a car dealership and a sign company. Renovated to suit the needs of the dogs it cares for, the 3,350-square-foot center is open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. and equipped to handle as many as 50 dogs during the day and kennel 14 dogs overnight.

To help with the conversion from car showroom to dog playroom, Outside In enlisted the expertise of Portland’s Clark/Kjos Architects and designer Michelle Mueller. According to Mueller, the work became more than just a quick, low-fee exercise. “It was a huge opportunity for me. I got involved in everything – planning, permitting, picking finishes, painting, recruiting volunteers and seeking vendor donations. I didn’t mind the long hours, because I really believe in the Outside In organization and what they’re doing at Virginia Woof.”

Mueller’s work with Clark/Kjos, which specializes in healthcare facilities, provided her with a wealth of experience with products from nora systems, Inc. “I’ve worked with nora products a number of times, and I’ve always had good results,” she said. “They offer a wide range of colors, which makes the products easy to work with from a design standpoint. Their norament products have a fairly high content of recycled material, and they hold up well.”

Stone was pleased with the recommendation to use nora products. “Everything I heard indicated the floor would meet our criteria,” he said. As a result, norament product covers the dog play and exercise areas, introducing two shades of gray, terracotta red and chocolate brown color blocks in a scattered geometric design.

“I laid out a big pattern on the floor, because I thought it would work better with the space, Mueller explained, “Also, Jason DeBenedetto and the people at Floor Solutions, in Portland, were giving us a price break on labor, and I didn’t want to create a complicated pattern that would be difficult to lay down. It was an attempt to be creative, a little bit playful and budget conscious all at the same time, and I think it worked.”

In the end, the norament product was the perfect choice for this unique facility. According to Stone, it’s a thick floor covering with a “cushiony” feel that is good for the dogs as they rest and play on it daily. “In our other location we have a poured rubber floor, which is a thin layer of rubber over cement,” said Stone. “The difference between the poured floor and the nora rubber floor is like night and day because of the cushion the nora floor provides for the dogs’ joints. I’ve also noticed that the poured floor can wear down the pads on some of the dogs’ paws. The nora floor never seems to bother any paws, and it provides an element of slip resistance that makes it easy and safe for the dogs to run and play.”