Paid to Play

To create a zoo habitat, scientist and architects work closely together to create harmony between wildlife and human communities. They focus on Zoological exhibit design services to the zoological community for programming, design and construction of conservation-oriented facilities throughout the world, and in planning community-based ecotourism and development projects in and adjacent to sensitive ecosystems.

Each zoo exhibit construction needs to be intricately compatible for each species.For instance, the Elephant House sets new standards in zoological design, providing the animals with a stimulating environment. The Elephant House is covered with lightweight, glazed domes to provide natural light; the spaces maintain a strong visual connection with the sky and changing patterns of daylight. Broad public viewing terraces give a fantastic view over the herd paddock. The colors and textures convey a sense of the dry riverbed as found at the edge of the rainforest, with mud holes, scattered pools of water and shading objects; the Elephant House is a place where the animals can play and interact naturally.

The existing Polar Bear exhibit had a 20′ deep concrete dry moat with a 25′ radius land area for the bears to live on. The standards for Polar Bears have changed significantly since this exhibit was built, that now a new species needed to be considered. The Zoo decided to re-design for Black Bear and create a new habitat within this limited area.

To do this we filled in the dry moat and existing rectangular pool, with natural substrates, and created a waterfall, stream and two pools for the bears to play in. Then we used the existing concrete moat walls to secure large I-beams, which carried the load for a stainless steel mesh and cable structure. This renovation took a 1,000 sf. Polar Bear dry moated exhibit to a 4,000 sf. Black Bear mesh enclosure. It was necessary to add a glass viewing blind instead of viewing through the mesh. This dramatic change took the exhibit into the modern realm with close-up nose-to-nose experience.

Major modifications were made inside the old Polar Bear holding to allow more visibility and training and enrichment opportunities in the holding area. On exhibit, at the exhibit service access gate, a special keeper training station was provided for Keeper Talks and daily enrichment sessions for the bears, directly adjacent to the viewing blind.

In the end, the zoo exhibit fabrication was able to bring back an old favorite species in a new, appropriately sized exhibit in place of an undersized (and basically “empty”) exhibit, in an ideal location, in the Yukon Creek/Northern Woodland exhibit sequence.

The ultimate goal in zoological design is to provide a happy home for every species and be kid friendly. The outcome- showcases the zoo’s mission of ‘intimate experiences with native animals’.