Sometimes an article idea I come across speaks to me personally. As a history minor, I love a story with a historical angle…and old buildings get my creative juices flowing. I’m also a sucker for pet rescues, my dog, Bongo is a rescue lab.
Roman and Coco. Photo: Liesa Cole
I live with an artist and interior designer who obsesses over all things architecture and design. She drags me all around the city to look at buildings. A local architecture firm that designs cool tech start-up headquarters, renovates and restores historic buildings…AND helps local animals find homes, was the perfect late week story for me.
Shipt headquarters. Photo: Liesa Cole.
“More pets than employees and more pets than children.”
CCR is a Birmingham boutique architecture and interior design firm founded by Tammy Cohen 1996.
CCR Shares the Love. Photo: Liesa Cole.
They love animals. CCR president Tammy’s and other employee’s dogs roam the courtyard on lunch breaks. The head of marketing, has been known to rush injured birds to Oak Mountain for treatment. Dogs visit their office regularly and at last count, 12 cats have been rescued by these folks.
“Many of us have reached our personal, allowable pet limit, but still want to find ways to help and ensure that animals get homes. We’ve done a Habitat for Humanity build and contribute to United Way, but we’re always looking for more ways to help.” Emily Dyke.
Photo: Liesa Cole.
This year CCR shared their love for animals by helping to make it easier for Bham pets to find a home. Each employee chose a pet from the Greater Birmingham Humane Society and paid the adoption fee.
So these furry cats and dogs are ready to go. Stop by the GBHS and see who you connect with…certainly you can find a new best friend and the fee is already paid!
Anna and Hunter. Photo: Liesa Cole.
Its increasingly more common to see pets at work, especially at smaller creative companies. For CCR it’s not a trendy thing to try, it is in fact, a way of life…and work. Tammy and Richard, the president and vice-president live on site, right above the offices and their dogs are a regular feature around the place.
“Having our pets around contributes to a more laid back work environment where when we’re meeting a deadline, they are a reminder to take a deep breath, pet a dog, and not let yourself get overwhelmed. We want all our employees to be happy and healthy because it makes the work better and makes our atmosphere more friendly and productive.” Emily Dyke.
Um…so where do I sign up? Though I’m in no way a designer or architect, this sounds like a really great place to work. Alas…they aren’t currently hiring, preferring for now to keep their firm small and select, though from time to time they do take on architecture and interior design interns.
Railroad Square. Photo: Liesa Cole.
We love Birmingham and helping to breathe new life into the downtown and midtown areas.
CCR focuses mainly on commercial work, but they have also designed historical renovations and some interesting single family homes as well. As the mixed-use trend continues in Birmingham, with commercial spaces on the lower floors and living areas above, CCR has found that they really have an affinity for that sort of project.
The Stockyard. Photo: Liesa Cole.
“We’re proud to have worked on some of Birmingham’s historic, iconic buildings like City Federal, The Kress Building, and The John Hand Building – where we just completed Shipt’s new offices. Currently we’re working on 20 Midtown, Lakeview Green, and The Battery”
Photo: Liesa Cole.
Check out the pets chosen. We hope you have room in your home and heart for one of these guys or gals. And take a quick look at CCR’s portfolio of work on their slick web site.
