Zoo architects and multiple facilities

SwampDonkey

SwampDonkey

In the Swamp
Premium Member
5+ year member
Is there anyone that knows much about zoo architects?

For example, I believe the company that originally designed ZooTampa (Lowry Park Zoo) is the same company that designed the Audubon Zoo in New Orleans. Did they design any other zoos in the USA? Are there other examples of one company designing multiple facilities?

The two examples are similar in design, so it is interesting to compare them.
 
With a little research I partially answered my question. Torre Design Consortium has done a lot of different zoos and aquariums across the world.

It seems that they do both masterplans as well as single area designs. It is hard to tell from their website if they actually went with their plans and built, or if the designs were created and abandoned. They seem to really like boardwalk type designs as well, or at least they did.

Here are a few:
USA and Canada:
Lowry Park Zoo/ZooTampa (both the original Masterplan and the Safari Africa expansion)
Memphis Zoo
Audubon Zoo
Palm beach
Oklahoma City
Winnipeg
Buttonwood (New Bedford Massachusetts)
Cameron Park
Sioux Falls
Seneca
Louisville
Peoria
Metro Washington Park (Washington state)
Parts of Atlanta, Brookfield...etc/
And more in the USA

Outside the Americas:
Nanchang Zoo (China)
 
SwampDonkey said:
With a little research I partially answered my question. Torre Design Consortium has done a lot of different zoos and aquariums across the world.

It seems that they do both masterplans as well as single area designs. It is hard to tell from their website if they actually went with their plans and built, or if the designs were created and abandoned. They seem to really like boardwalk type designs as well, or at least they did.

Here are a few:
USA and Canada:
Lowry Park Zoo/ZooTampa (both the original Masterplan and the Safari Africa expansion)
Memphis Zoo
Audubon Zoo
Palm beach
Oklahoma City
Winnipeg
Buttonwood (New Bedford Massachusetts)
Cameron Park
Sioux Falls
Seneca
Louisville
Peoria
Metro Washington Park (Washington state)
Parts of Atlanta, Brookfield...etc/
And more in the USA

Outside the Americas:
Nanchang Zoo (China)
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They do have a hand in the Vision Plan for the upcoming 20 year overhaul for the Los Angeles Zoo. I am unaware if they have done previous work there as well with their recent master plan that was completed.
 
Portico Group - MIG | Portico - Zoos

Jones & Jones - Wildlife – Jones and Jones

Studio Hanson Roberts - SHR Studios

Bernard Harrison & Friends - https://www.bernardharrisonandfriends.com/

Jon Coe Design - Zoo Projects

PGAV - Our Work | Zoo and Aquarium Design | PGAV Destinations

GLMV - Zoos + Aquariums

WDM - https://wdmarchitects.com/expertise/zoological/

Coyle & Carson - Zoo Design & Habitat Design — Coyle & Caron Landscape Architects

Zoo Advisors - Zoo Advisors

Bassett Associates, I don't think they have a website?


Some that don't specialize in zoos but have done local projects:

Slade - art & cultural — SLADE ARCHITECTURE

Studio Gang - https://studiogang.com/projects/architecture

Opsis - Civic & Community - Opsis Architecture

MSKTD - https://msktd.com/market/civic/

Studio RED - https://www.studioredarchitects.com/

Bernard Tschumi - http://www.tschumi.com/projects/61/


Some zoo-related posts on a couple architect blogs, mostly by huge firms:
https://www.dezeen.com/tag/zoos/
https://www.archdaily.com/search/projects/categories/zoo
https://architizer.com/blog/inspiration/collections/safari-architecture/
 
SwampDonkey said:
Is there anyone that knows much about zoo architects?

For example, I believe the company that originally designed ZooTampa (Lowry Park Zoo) is the same company that designed the Audubon Zoo in New Orleans. Did they design any other zoos in the USA? Are there other examples of one company designing multiple facilities?

The two examples are similar in design, so it is interesting to compare them.
Click to expand...
Almost all zoo projects in North America, Australia, and Europe (and increasingly Asia) are designed by a relatively small number of firms that specialize in zoo design. After all, some very specific skills and knowledge are required to design a zoo or a zoo exhibit and an experienced firm benefits from their past successes (and failures) when taking on a new project.
Frequently a zoo requires that a local architect be the lead on a project for oversight and management reasons so many local architecture firms have participated in zoo projects in collaboration with zoo design firms.
Aquariums have a similar situation.
It is very difficult for new firms to enter this competitive and small market.
 
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TinoPup said:
Portico Group - MIG | Portico - Zoos

Jones & Jones - Wildlife – Jones and Jones

Studio Hanson Roberts - SHR Studios

Bernard Harrison & Friends - https://www.bernardharrisonandfriends.com/

Jon Coe Design - Zoo Projects

PGAV - Our Work | Zoo and Aquarium Design | PGAV Destinations

GLMV - Zoos + Aquariums

WDM - Zoological Design | WDM Architects | Wichita, KS

Coyle & Carson - Zoo Design & Habitat Design — Coyle & Caron Landscape Architects

Zoo Advisors - Zoo Advisors

Bassett Associates, I don't think they have a website?


Some that don't specialize in zoos but have done local projects:

Slade - art & cultural — SLADE ARCHITECTURE

Studio Gang - https://studiogang.com/projects/architecture

Opsis - Civic & Community - Opsis Architecture

MSKTD - MSKTD

Studio RED - Houston Architects | Studio RED Architects Design & Planning Services

Bernard Tschumi - Bernard Tschumi Architects


Some zoo-related posts on a couple architect blogs, mostly by huge firms:
Zoos | Dezeen
zoo architecture and design | ArchDaily
Safari Architecture: 7 Wild Zoos and Animal Parks - Architizer Journal
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Also note
Perry-Becker

https://danpearlman.com/en/

Ursa International • a Zoo Design Firm

And Zoo Advisors are business and planning consultants. They do not do exhibit design.
I can't think of the last time Bassett did a zoo.
 
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It should also be noted that every project is designed by a team. The zoo designers may lead the team (sometimes it is the local architect) but the other consultants can have a noticeable effect on the final project.
There may be up to 3 different engineering firms, interpretive specialists, lighting specialists, water feature specialists and of course landscape specialists ;)
Some of these specialties are also represented by a small number of firms so teams often resemble each other.
 
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Some of us (and I am chief among them) are sick of the cookie-cutter Mayan and Indian temples these firms seem to love. (The new flamingo holding building at my local zoo is particularly hideous). When reading this it struck me that the mighty San Diego (both zoo and safari park) has none of this. I wonder if they have their own in-house design team?
 
Arizona Docent said:
Some of us (and I am chief among them) are sick of the cookie-cutter Mayan and Indian temples these firms seem to love. (The new flamingo holding building at my local zoo is particularly hideous). When reading this it struck me that the mighty San Diego (both zoo and safari park) has none of this. I wonder if they have their own in-house design team?
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Only a very few firms glory in the faux cultural architecture. Most avoid it. One might ask why zoo directors like it!
And yes, San Diego does their own thing for the most part.
 
Which of these zoo design companies do people believe to be the best at what they do? Are certain better at working with small zoos, and are certain ones better at working with big zoos, or some that do better on certain types of exhibits? What distinguishes one from another?
 
Neil chace said:
Which of these zoo design companies do people believe to be the best at what they do? Are certain better at working with small zoos, and are certain ones better at working with big zoos, or some that do better on certain types of exhibits? What distinguishes one from another?
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I look forward to how Zoochatters handle THIS question.
Flip side: many zoo designers have worked for several firms over their careers and a couple of firms have spawned spin-off firms. So the connectedness is pretty strong.
 
Neil chace said:
Which of these zoo design companies do people believe to be the best at what they do? Are certain better at working with small zoos, and are certain ones better at working with big zoos, or some that do better on certain types of exhibits? What distinguishes one from another?
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I only know of three ZooChatters (maybe there are others) who are qualified to answer this question knowledgeably. All of them are smart enough I think not to answer publicly!
 
Arizona Docent said:
I only know of three ZooChatters (maybe there are others) who are qualified to answer this question knowledgeably. All of them are smart enough I think not to answer publicly!
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I would understand someone not choosing favorites, but is there anything that distinguishes them? Is there one that focuses more on Indoor attractions, or one that typically does African savannas? I did understand that none of them make just one kind of exhibit, but what differentiates one from the next? Are some more well-regarded than others?
 
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