The original OC Animal Care Facility, built in 1941, was outdated with limited space for equipment and animal housing, making daily operations difficult. In 2018, RJM worked as part of a team to develop a state-of-the-art $35 million dollar animal shelter to serve the cities of Orange County. The new facility was constructed on 10 acres of the former Tustin Marine Air Base property, which was contaminated from years of aviation maintenance. With this in mind, RJM was responsible for designing a suitable landscape and outdoor facilities to house the shelter animals around the 35,000 square foot building. A series of drought tolerant plantings and native plant bioswales were designed to soften the building while also cleansing the runoff from the site. Towering palm trees line the central promenade creating a sense of entry and arrival at the heart of the facility. A combination of natural and synthetic turf play areas allow the adoptable animals an opportunity to interact with the public which helped to find homes for over 100 animals in the opening weekend. Through the generosity of the Helen McCoy Trust, the McCoy Equestrian and Recreation Center will continue to be a haven for equestrian and community events as well as a window to the rich history of Arabian horse breeding in California for years to come.