DOG PPL is a members-only dog park and social club that provides a safe space and elevated experience for dogs and people who love them. The dogs are all vetted and made sure they pass a social test. But it's more than a dog park with free Wi-Fi, coffee, cocktails, and extraordinary events like dog-themed movie nights with a popcorn machine and dog treats every Sunday night, splash parties, and snow days for the dogs. It's a community; it's a culture. It's a lifestyle.
HOW IT STARTED
Alvaro: Back in 2020, Liam, Alex, and I used to take our dogs to the same dog park in Arts District. We started talking, and I was among the first to hear their fantastic idea to have a place to bring your dog, and everything would be more nicely organized. While Alex and Liam were evolving their concept, I was evolving Adapt Living.
CHALLENGE
Originally DOG PPL wanted Adapt Living to design standardized units for the dog parks. But in the middle of that project, they had to move to a new location in Santa Monica. So we had to build two units fast to accommodate DOG PPL's needs and meet the project deadline.
The creative challenge was figuring out the system of exterior siding panels that we could utilize for concrete and finding a nice balance with the feel, look, and touch of the concrete. With all the rest, it was pretty simple.
SOLUTION
This was a rush project, but the idea was to design something that DOG PPL could efficiently utilize in the future. It took a week to design both units and around four weeks to develop the project. These two units are a coffee shop/bar and a receptionist/boutique shop.
The coffee shop unit needed point-of-purchase windows allowing employees to service the clients. Inside is everything a coffee shop needs - fridges, sinks, etc. We did big openings so that employees didn't feel claustrophobic. We also brought some lovely interior design elements like the DOG PPL sage green tile wall and concrete green on the exterior. To save time, we used one of our old prototypes and retrofitted it.
Alvaro: I was trying to figure out an industrial, modern take on these units for DOG PPL and create a balance between industrial raw materials and sleek finish materials.
The reception area unit has an oversized garage door with a counter-level mechanism that opens the door for the DOG PPL members to enter. We decided to build it from scratch to fit in the garage door mechanism and add another foot of height. This unit offers check-in services for small and large dogs, so we designed concrete check-in countertops for the interior. This unit is seated on the exterior of the entrance and is more visible from the outside of the park, so we intended to put a sign with DOG PPL branding - an oversized graphic on the concrete panels.
RESULTS
Alvaro: We're pleased to work with DOG PPL because they're very design-driven. They're very creative. It's projects like this that Adapt Living likes to do, pushing the envelope on creativity and design.
Alex: We're so thankful to Adapt Living for bringing their expertise and delivering incredible results in such a rush.
Liam: This was an incredible and wholesome experience. We're working with Alvaro and his team further. All the details of design, materials, and accessories - we could trust him completely, and the result was even better than we expected.
