To me, a real conversation should include the elements of both engagement and disengagement. In my attempt to solve the communications gap between animals and humans forced into the urban compound today, I applied this concept of conversation architecturally to the adaptive reuse of an abandoned 1927 art deco building in downtown Providence. 
The building, 4-story high, sits 198’ deep in between two other buildings, leaving fenestration only on its short sides which run 48’ wide north and south. The existing rhythm of the space and the need to bring more natural light into the setting lead me to a dumbbell structure with an atrium in the middle. The atrium is defined by faceted walls that resemble the form and function of a valley, in which all species have their own places. The communication in the valley is ensured by programs allowed and integrated by the walls: fish tank, rock climbing, aviary, catwalk and animal cafe. As far as metaphor goes, either end of the space can be seen as camps that provides for the valley as they house programs that facilitate and harvest the inter-species conversation: Alzheimer daycare, animal adoption, animal assisted therapy training. Placed in tune with the valley programs for interaction. The Alzheimer center, for instance, is built around the fish tank as study* showed a significant link between fish tanks and improvements of Alzheimer patients’ nutrition ingestion.