The Pet Loft

Animal Airport Lounge

Designing a stress-free travel experience for pets and their humans.

Service Design

The pet loft is an animal airport lounge concept designed to provide pets and their owners a welcoming, calm, and comfortable place to relax during layovers and flights.
Academic
Group Project: This project was a collaboration with Tanisha Gupta and Shuyao (Jessica) Guo as part of a Core Studio Class at Emily Carr University.
Service Design
Spring 2022
My contributions were:
Concept Development/Idea of the Pet loft
Precedent Research (Uber Eats ecosystem, Biophilic Design, Social Infrastructure research)
Service Blueprint Mapping (collaborated with Tanisha)
Concept development for Rest Area & Biophilic Lounge
Visual Exploration (Moodboards and Material Selection for Rest Area)
User Journey Mapping Model
Final Prototyping of the Rest Area Visuals, Auditory & Olfactory Design
I researched social infrastructure and biophilic design to explore how public spaces—like libraries and nature-inspired environments—enhance well-being and social connection. These concepts heavily shaped the Pet Loft’s rest area design.
Looks like: Visual touch points – What the lounge looks like (materials, colour palette)
Sounds like: Auditory experience – Soft nature sounds to ease stress
Smells like: Olfactory experience – Neutral, pleasant scents that are safe for pets
Feels like: Haptics – Soft cushions, natural textures to enhance comfort

Context

With the increasing number of pet owners traveling by air, more passengers are flying with pets, yet airports lack dedicated, humane spaces that cater to the needs of traveling animals and their owners.

Traditional pet relief areas are often small, isolated, or unsanitary, offering little comfort to pets or their owners. This gap in service creates stress, discomfort, and logistical challenges for travellers with pets.

Problem

Many pet owners experience anxiety when traveling through airports due to limited pet-friendly facilities, long layovers, and overwhelming airport environments. Traditional waiting areas are not designed with animal well-being in mind, leading to increased stress, overstimulation, and discomfort for both pets and their humans.

Additionally, service animals and emotional support animals require a more calming, sensory-friendly environment to maintain their well-being during travel.

Proposed Solution

The Pet Loft is a design concept animal airport lounge that provides a calm, comfortable, and multi-sensory environment for pets and their owners. Inspired by biophilic design and service-driven experiences, the lounge combines nature-inspired aesthetics, functional design, and technology-driven convenience, to transform the airport experience for pets and their owners, making travel less stressful, more enjoyable, and pet-friendly.

Private rest areas for pets to relax in low-stress setting and Comfortable seating for pet owners so they can relax alongside their pets

Sensory-friendly design: calming nature sounds, soothing textures, and pet-safe aromatherapy)

Seamless check-in and navigation for pet owners

Separate zones for cats, dogs, and small animals to reduce stress from unfamiliar interactions

Soft, washable, and eco-friendly materials designed for comfort and hygiene

Quiet zones for anxious pets with low-stimulation settings

Research & Sketches

The Pet Loft project proposes a solution to support pets during transit by introducing dedicated Pet Lounges.

These lounges allow passengers to stay with their pets, offering them comfort, care, and attention throughout the journey.

Designed to promote a more pet-friendly environment, the lounges also creatively repurpose under utilized “dead spaces” in transit areas, transforming them into welcoming rest zones for our furry companions.