During the planning and construction of Country Club Animal Clinic's new hospital, a lot of effort went into minimizing our footprint in the world.  Below are some photos of ways we did this, but much was "behind the scenes" and more challenging to share with you.  The studs in our walls, for example, are recyclable (and partly recycled) aluminum, rather than wood.  All the lights are high-efficiency fluorescents - even the ones that don't look it!  The ceiling tiles are an upgrade designed to reduce energy consumption.  Even our air conditioning units are high efficiency.

The Rubber Floor

We're very proud of some of the unique features of our hospital design - most of which are also eco-friendly.  The floor is rubber - not only is it easy to walk on, even for our more fragile patients, but it's made from some 80% recycled tires!  Don't ask us how they got the color in, but the result is stunning, we think you'll agree.  For more on this and other rubber floor products, check out Ecosurfaces.

The Glass Counter Top

Likewise, we wanted the front desk to really make a statement.  After all, aside from our friendly staff, this is the first thing you really notice when you walk through the door!  We scoured design sites and begged advice from our friends, and finally settled on Vetrazzo - "exquisitely repurposed glass!"  It's just what its name implies - a terrazzo counter top made from post-consumer glass bottles.  We get tons of compliments, and a good feeling besides.

Solar Electricity

Much of the power that runs our lights and air conditioning comes from the abundant sun that blesses the Coachella Valley all year.  Because of the roof's design, and the cost of installation, we're not able to generate all our power this way, but it's a start.  Stay tuned as we continue to explore more ways of becoming energy independent!