Heather Lewis, AIA, NCARB, is a partner at Animal Arts, an architecture firm in Boulder, Colorado and frequent HospitalDesign360 conference speaker. She's a lighting geek and a (seriously) devoted advocate of minimizing pets' stress and anxiety during their veterinary visits. She has designed practices and shelters that range in size from 1,200 square feet to 110,000 square feet. During grad school (as a break from architorture) she trained miniature horses to pull carts!

	"The recession affected the construction market profoundly and it affected pricing," says veterinary architect and 

 speaker Heather Lewis, AIA, NCARB. Now, years later, the fallout is still noticeable as shown by a shortage of contractors, which leads to higher costs, she says.

	This is why Lewis recommends enlisting the services of a cost estimator from the beginning stages of your construction project-even before the first contractor bid. So, who fits the bill?

	"This person is probably a contractor who's participating in the design process to help the veterinarian," she says. Someone with the proper skill set and a thorough knowledge of your project will help eliminate the need to cut elements from your project at the last minute, Lewis says.

	At Fetch dvm360 conference, we're the support system you need. With every conference this year, we intend to nurture your mind (meaning quality CE for days) while also encouraging you to take stock of your physical and emotional health. 

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