Warm Light, Soft Edges: A Veterinary Clinic

Rethinks the Clinical Experience in Montréal

—

In the heart of Saint-Henri, one of Montréal’s most character-rich neighbourhoods, a new veterinary clinic is turning heads not just for its care, but for its calm, architectural beauty. Designed by local firm Ivy Studio, the newly opened Clinique Vétérinaire Saint-Henri (CVSH) proves that clinical spaces can be welcoming, tactile, and emotionally resonant.

Spread across 3,000 square feet on the ground floor of a mixed-use building, CVSH offers an experience more akin to a boutique or wellness studio than a traditional vet clinic. It’s quiet, light-filled, and designed with purpose, both for pets and their people.

A Vaulted Vision

At the heart of the space, a dramatic vaulted ceiling runs the full length of the clinic, bringing visual continuity and a deep sense of calm. The entrance unfolds into two distinct zones: a soft blue quartzite reception desk, and a lush waiting room meets boutique, where curated pet-care items are displayed under a canopy of natural light and greenery.

Transparency with Precision

A custom glass partition, fluted and clear, follows the curves of the ceiling, gently separating public and private zones. This openness allows daylight to filter deep into the treatment areas while maintaining a sense of privacy.

At its core, the clinic centres around an open treatment room with three stainless-steel tables, a pharmacy, grooming station, and bright custom-built fixtures. This transparency offers a glimpse behind the scenes, precise, efficient, and warm, redefining what “clinical” can look and feel like.

Designed Around Care

Along the main corridor, five exam rooms are fitted with bespoke red oak benches and soft butter-yellow seating. Lighting throughout is adjustable, allowing the mood to shift based on the nature of each consultation, from calm wellness visits to focused treatments.

Toward the back, dental and surgical suites are paired with a central prep room, all illuminated by a newly added window that balances natural daylight with patient privacy.

Tactile, Textural, Thoughtful

The material palette speaks softly but confidently: hand-applied limewash walls, acoustic wood-wool ceilings, and terrazzo marble floors set the tone for a space that feels clean without feeling cold.

Everything, from layout to lighting, has been considered to challenge the sterility of traditional clinics, replacing it with a design language rooted in care, tactility, and warmth.

CVSH isn’t just a clinic. It’s a sanctuary. A new kind of veterinary space where animals and their humans can feel safe, supported, and seen.

All photography by Alex Lesage.

If you enjoyed this article, you should check out our Live Design As The New Way : Connecting Earth and Art