Route 66 VECCC

Route 66 Veterinary Emergency & Critical Care Center

Albuquerque, NM

Route 66 Veterinary Emergency & Critical Care Center’s new facility in a 90-year-old historic building bridge the near century-old gap between the golden era of the historic Route 66, and the innovation of today’s emergency veterinary medicine.

Albuquerque is home to some of New Mexico’s best examples of architecture that were inspired by the historic Route 66, aka the Mother Road. The Nob Hill Service Station was a popular stop for those traveling the Mother Road through the 1950s until modern gas stations began taking over. After its heyday, the building went through a number of tenants and erratic remodels until it was vacated and left empty in 2015.

The focus of the overall renovation was twofold: Create a welcoming environment that reduces stress for clients and their pets, and to continue to provide the highest standard of medical care in a physical environment supportive of these services.

The functional goal was to deliver a state-of-the-art healthcare facility for animals while the community-building goal was to respect the iconic architecture while activating an important intersection in the Nob Hill neighborhood. A building addition that uses the same architectural language was added for the intensive care unit. The existing eclectic structural system was exposed to provide history and flavor to what could otherwise be a sterile interior environment. Windows were added to the walk-out basement to create light-filled doctors’ offices and a quiet friendly staff space for a break from the animals in need. These design components complement the mid-century iconography while serving the city’s need for 24-hour medical service its residents’ pets.