Mars Petcare U.S., Inc, a Division of Mars U.K. Limited, an international company based in numerous countries around the world, has decided to build their new U. S. based corporate headquarters in Nashville, TN. Mars is the world’s leading authority on pet care and nutrition. The dogs and cats that live within the facility are cared for by dedicated professionals to the highest possible standards and contribute to world class research. RFA, as the consulting architectural firm to Hastings Architecture, collaborated in the design of this new state of the art facility. RFA’s primary focus was the Pet Health and Nutrition Center (PHNC), which was one of many buildings that comprise an entire corporate research and development campus. The PHNC includes housing for both dogs and cats plus research facilities to develop nutritional pet foods that are of the highest possible quality. The dogs are housed in circular “cottages” linked together as a communal village, fanning out from the central PHNC building. Each dog has multiple outdoor exercise runs, yards and areas. The cats are located on the upper level of the PHNC building in communal cat playrooms with abundant natural light and outdoor terraces. At Mars both dogs and cats are treated as part of a very large family. This idea was central to the philosophical approach to creating the homes for these canine and feline family members. This new facility is intended to become the flagship for all other Mars headquarters located around the world.