Exterior: The owners of Westbury Animal Hospital undertook a challenging construction project, adding a new building to the
practice's original facility.
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Westbury Animal Hospital had been open for barely six months when the winds picked up and the rain started to pour. As Hurricane
Ike made its way through the Texas Gulf Coast, Drs. Ben Johnston, L.D. Eckermann, and Jonathan Cooper wondered what the storm
would mean for their practice, located in the heart of Houston. As it turns out, they needn't have worried—Westbury Animal
Hospital was built for this sort of thing.
That's because the doctors had the foresight to install a 130-kilowatt natural-gas-powered emergency generator to power all
patient care and housing areas, computers, and telephones. When the storm hit Houston, leaving Westbury's neighborhood without
power for 12 days, the air-conditioned hospital was a haven for clients worried about their overheated pets. Some team members
even volunteered to work long hours, helping manage the additional caseload. "It was a tough month for Houston, but financially
it was a great month for our practice," Dr. Johnston says.
Surgery: Each surgery suite features an adjustable height and tilt table, a stainless steel pass-through from the pack and
prep area, interior windows so team members can view surgeries from outside the room, and electrical, oxygen, and waste gas
scavenging ceiling drops.
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After surviving the hurricane, the practice soon faced another tough challenge: the 2009 Veterinary Economics Hospital Design Competition. Our judges scrutinized 39 entries over a grueling two-day judging period, and while there was
plenty of debate and lively discussion, Westbury Animal Hospital rose above the competition, emerging as the clear winner.
TO BUILD OR TO MOVEMuch of Westbury's successful design can be attributed to a laborious planning process. Drs. Johnston and Eckermann decided
in 1995 that they needed a new building, but they hesitated to take action. The neighborhood surrounding the practice was
declining rapidly, and they weren't sure whether to stay put or scout out a new location. So they continued practicing in
the original facility—built in 1968—while they weighed their options.
Westbury Animal Hospital
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In 2001 a flood ravaged the area, destroying many houses. And over the next few years the neighborhood began to turn around,
thanks in part to the construction of lavish new houses to replace those damaged by the flood. Westbury's close proximity
to Texas Medical Center, one of the largest medical districts in the world, also helps the practice attract medical professionals
as clients. This neighborhood revitalization convinced the doctors to stay where they were and build a new hospital. Construction
crews broke ground in October 2006. And in March 2008, the practice opened its brand-new doors.
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