An excellent summary from Alan.
We also learned the following points about the HoA exhibit itself:
Considerable work is being undertaken to ensure the building is environmentally sound, for example, its primary aspect faces due south to maximise solar energy, but there are also contingencies for excessive heating in the summer months. A comparison was drawn with the Eden Project where they simply "open the windows", something not possible when there will be so many free-flying birds. One solution is a heat exchanger and water-filled reservoir beneath the building.
A question was raised by one attendee about an incinerator, but Simon pointed out that there was no such thing on-site and that the power plant would burn bio-fuel (wood chip) with a gas reserve.
The high temperature inside HoA is primarily for the horticulture, and the zoo are aware that it may be excessive for some people over an extended period. Therefore there will be strategically positioned escape points, where visitors can go outside and get some fresh air and an ice-cream.
As Alan said, there will be two indoor and two outdoor enclosures for each of the major species. Lessons have been learnt from the Monkey Islands insomuch as when an animal goes outside (or comes inside) there will be a short, direct route for visitors to follow it. In the case of Monkey Islands, by the time you've walked through the building and around the islands, the animal has gone.
A water bus route passes through the centre of the structure and it will provide some views not accessible on foot.
The design was compared to a number of other large dome structures and the presentation examined their shortcomings. It was felt that looking up at a tree canopy that might be in excess of thirty metres high was certainly impressive, but that the best view was from above, something not available at any other exhibit (although Eden have outline plans for a walkway). Therefore HoA is designed on many different levels and will give views of the tree canopy throughout all the stages of its growth.
As Alan alluded to, HoA is being built largely to address seasonal discrepancies in visitor numbers and provide a more stable income throughout the year, but the zoo are aware that the majority of visitors will still attend during the six week summer holidays period. In a departure for Chester, the plan is to provide timed tickets for HoA and on peak days - bank holidays for example - there may even be a small additional charge. This is primarily designed to ensure that only a certain number of visitors are inside the bio-dome at any one time and may be a reaction to the issues of Realm of the Red Ape, which is an absolute nightmare on busy days.
A number of key challenges faced by the zoo were highlighted. They included the green belt, the bridal path and the power lines, which run through the car park and over the HoA site. There was a possibility of them being buried underground, but the cost would have been ~£10M and then planning rules would have prevented building above them, essentially stopping the entire project. It looks like we'll just have to live with them and the bridges, which are also unavoidable.
The Butterfly House and the Tsavo aviary are designed in this spirit, letting visitors get close to the animals for an immersion experience (I hate this term, but on reflection it is not so different from George Mottershead's big idea of a zoo without bars - there were several references to his foresight last night).
Fellow members of IZES would have recognised the final slide, which was taken from the Guide to British Zoos and Aquariums. Good to see Tim Brown and IZES getting the publicity, and it was particularly apt.
Hopefully Alan and I have summarised some of the key points, more facts and figures are available from NEZS if needed.
