Georgia Aquarium Opens "AT&T Dolphin Tales"

gaq dolphin logo

The newest addition to the massive Georgia Aquarium is a $110 million PGAV Destinations-designed home for eleven dolphins called "Dolphin Tales".  Opened April 2, 2011, the dolphin mecca includes a spectacular new show, an 1800-seat theater, new holding pools, an exhibit area, and a spacious lobby for watching the dolphins before the show or during a special event. We talked with architect Tom Marschner about his role in the massive project.

DZ: What was your official role?

TM: Construction Administrator for PGAV.  [I] assisted the Client and Contractor during construction as questions and changes arose.

georgia-aquarium

DZ: What was the goal of the project?

TM:  Create a world-class indoor dolphin theater on a small 1 acre pie shaped site adjoining the existing Aquarium.

DZ: What was the most challenging aspect of your job?  

TM: Figuring out all of the intricacies that come when you are connecting to an existing building.  There are things [that] don’t show up on the existing drawings or that have changed in the years since the original building was built that [the] design needs to adjust to.  Most of the time there is only a day to figure it out in order to not hold up the construction.

DZ: What was the most satisfying?  

TM: When the first dolphin was placed in the exhibit, followed closely being at the opening and seeing guests enjoy the space.

GAQ Dolphins 1

The project, which began in late 2008, includes 1.3 million gallons of water between the five pools.  The show pool is 29’ deep, and only one of the three holding pools is visible from the exhibit area.  This allows the Aquarium to give the dolphins a break from ‘work’--giving them downtime from being watched by guests through a window or from the more strenuous activities of the show.

gaq dolphins

In addition to the show, the Aquarium showcases its efforts with dolphin and ocean conservation through several graphic panels and an oversized video screen.

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

gaq show 2

Marschner is obviously proud to have been a part of the design and construction team on this project.  Before this, he was also deeply involved with the Brookfield Zoo’s Great Bear Wilderness.  But when asked if he now considers himself a zoo designer, he humbly responded, “I consider myself an architect with lots of zoological design knowledge.”

Thanks, Tom!

May Animal of the Month: Giraffes!

Explore the interesting world of Giraffes!  These long-necked, knock-kneed creatures are surprisingly more like my cat, Pablo, than they are to the more similar-looking horse...They're skittish, active in the dawn and dusk, and hate water. As always, enjoy!

For the fact sheet, click: Giraffe SDT AotM May

The Greening of Zoos

Recently, the PGAV Specialty Development Team has been spending a lot of time focusing on practical applications of green principles in the complex world of zoos and aquariums.  (We have spent very little time looking at aquariums as the amount of energy required to run an aquarium is beyond the practical approaches we are familiar with at our basic level of understanding.)  But, nonetheless, zoos are making strides in the green world.  And are finally getting recognized for their efforts. In 2010, Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Gardens was named the National Energy Star Greenest Zoo in America  for their work including a Platinum LEED building and the installation of solar panels over their parking lot.  That same year, the Indianapolis Zoo received a Governor’s Award of Environmental Excellence for their recycling program, and was the first zoo in the nation to receive the EPA’s Green Power Leadership Award for their commitment to purchase electricity created by green means.

But, I was curious.  What are most zoos doing these days to become green, or at least, to give the impression that they are ‘going green?’  And, how many of these practices are things that we as zoo designers can positively influence or encourage through design?

Last month, the Zoo Design SDT investigated those questions through a rather admittedly simple exercise: We browsed the internet to find green zoos and their practices.

Each of us collected the green practices of three zoos by searching for ‘green zoo’ on Google, then searching for all of the practices that zoo had published online.  We then sorted the practices into general categories, like Sustainable Purchasing, Solar Panels, and LEED Projects.

We quickly realized that these categories fall into two overall groupings:  Operational Practices and Physical Plan Components, or “Things we probably can’t affect” and “Things we definitely can affect,” respectively.

After gathering all of these practices, it is abundantly clear that although zoos are making strides to become responsible green leaders in their communities, there is a lot of room to grow.  Most zoos have strong recycling and composting programs, have initiated a green purchasing program for zoo products (like compostable or corn based dining wares and recyclable content paper products), and have implemented strategies for decreasing utilities usage (like programmable thermostats and lighting on sensors).  But more than that, consistent programs are scarce.

And physical plan green principles are the least implemented thus far.  This indicates that although zoos have the best intentions, we have a long way to go, and as zoo designers, we are perfectly perched to help guide zoos through into the next generation of zoo design: Green zoo design.

To review realistic green options for exhibit design, re-check out my previous post "Green Design in Zoos."

April Animal of the Month: Tigers

I think we're catching up to the calendar.  Expect May's fact sheet next week. But in April, we investigated the most endangered of the big cats...everyone's favorite...the striped ghost...Tigers!  Our fact sheet focuses on Bengals, but is applicable to Amurs as well.

As always, enjoy!

For the fact sheet, click here:  Tiger SDT AotM April

"10 Things Zoo Won't Tell You" via Smart Money

Interesting little article, although we have it on good authority that some of the numbers quoted are not accurate.

March Animal of the Month: Komodo Dragon

Yes, yes.  We're behind.  Stop chastising and enjoy the light reading all about our favorite real life dragons...Komodos!

For the fact sheet, click here: Komodo SDT AotM March.

Conveying Field Research and Conservation Efforts to Zoo Visitors

By Guest Blogger Christina Clagett Significance

The purpose of zoos has evolved a great deal over their history. The role of the animal in the zoo has been steadily shifting from a source of objectified amusement to that of ambassadors of their wild counterparts. In the past few decades zoos have increasingly worked beyond their boundaries; researching and reaching out to the native habitats of animals. It is common for reputable zoos to have multiple research and conservation efforts simultaneously underway across the world. The future of zoos and related wild populations depend on these projects, with the ideal result being a combination of efforts inside and outside of the zoo to stabilize and eventually restore native populations.

Zoo visitors of all ages understand that what they are seeing in an exhibit is not the “real thing” despite even the best thematic efforts. However, as they watch a live animal on exhibit, do they understand the role of this ambassador animal in the larger scope of research and conservation? Or do they see a member of a collection there for their viewing enjoyment? The success of conveying deeper meaning varies in zoos across the world; however, a vocal minority opposed to zoological organizations is just one example of a group that currently sees the latter. With so much progress being made in the field directly relating to the future welfare of a species on exhibit, more has to be done to help visitors make a connection between the two. This will add lasting meaning to their visit.

Implementation

For better or worse, attention spans of visitors are getting shorter. Overly wordy interpretive signage hardly commands significant attention and visitors move on quickly if an animal is not engaging at the moment. However, this does open the door for interactive ways to communicate the message. Interactive in this context means any medium from which a user can have a unique experience whether it is a knowledgeable person at the exhibit or a cell phone application. Many of the following strategies are already being utilized to varying degrees in zoos across the world.

In-Person Interpreter

The most simple and cost effective method to convey field efforts to visitors is to have a knowledgeable person, whether it be a trainer or volunteer docent, at the exhibit to literally recount the efforts being made. They could present artifacts sent directly from the field and visitors could have a sensory experience by touching or smelling them. However, it is not practical for a person to be in an exhibit during all operating hours so the message only gets to those visitors who happen to be there at the right time.

Role-Play Areas

A role-play area can mimic field conditions which relate to an exhibit. The scale of these play areas can vary from simple to elaborate or immersive. Most important with this strategy is to celebrate the work being done and encourage conservation by having visitors “play” for the same team as the researcher or conservationist in the field. Viewing areas could mimic the vantage point of the field researcher as the visitor studies the ambassador animal in the zoo. They could collect data with simplified versions of the field research. Real world progress can be chronicled as it happens by sharing information from the field researcher and the game could evolve concurrently with the field work.

Implementation: Technology

The following strategies all depend on the researcher in the field having access to technology to chronicle their work in real-time. Although the information they capture does not have to be shown up-to-the-minute, visitors feel a stronger connection when the content is fresh.

Media Wall/Video Screen

It would be impactful for visitors to see the field work happening on a screen adjacent to the exhibit. For example, having the experience of a close-up encounter while the wild counterpart is visible on a large screen could be very powerful. The researcher could film clips regularly that play on a loop at the exhibit, chronicling recent progress and findings. This would provide a unique experience for even habitual visitors each time as the exhibit avoids becoming static. An added benefit is they come to have an understanding of the field research and will relate it to the animal ambassador in the exhibit.

Social Media

Along the previous topic, the field researcher could take the content they have created and use various social media to share with a larger audience. There could be advertising for this content at the zoo entrances or specific exhibit to spread the word initially and it could be available on YouTube, Facebook or chronicled in a blog. Imagine how it would impact an elementary school science class to follow a particular blog over the school year and see firsthand the real pace of progress; whether quick or painfully slow. Content visitors consume at the exhibit could be reviewed at home on YouTube and shared with friends, convincing them to head to the zoo for themselves.

Animal Apps

As more parents take their children to the zoo with a smart phone or tablet in their bag, the opportunities to share information multiply. Utilizing this technology, all of the data and media collected from the field researcher could be programmed for an experience unique to each guest or group. There are many possibilities to create an interactive experience which combines the exhibit happenings with the field work. Imagine being able access information on demand, and even be able to interact with parts of the exhibit or field researcher with your phone or tablet. In the exhibit, you could control media and interactives with the phone. To go even further, imagine pressing a button on your phone to interact with the animal on exhibit: i.e. controlling an element within the exhibit itself such as a stream current. Not only would this be memorable for guests but could serve as enrichment for the animals as well, as long as it is programmed to prevent getting out of hand. Perhaps there is a limit on how many times such an interactive could be engaged in a given period of time. It should not be ignored that these applications could be a revenue source for the zoos as well.

Game applications which relate to the field work in a similar way to the role play games described earlier could be a huge hit with visitors. Once again, this is something they can engage long after leaving the zoo: it would succeed in keeping guests invested with the animals beyond their visit and create a lasting connection. If kids and parents alike can spend so much time playing games such as “Angry Birds” they could surely get into a game which relates to something they have personally seen or been involved with at the exhibit.

Utilization of an Opportunity

People, particularly children, are often emotionally affected by animals. This is especially true at the moment they connect with an animal in person. We cannot afford to squander the fleeting opportunity of this emotional connection. When a visitor moves on the emotional connection will diminish. We should use the moment to tell them the rest of the story and get them involved and engaged. We as zoo designers should do everything we can to nurture that connection and concern, and integrate the world-wide happenings from the field. We can nurture the formation of future attitudes towards animals and conservation in a more meaningful way than is currently being done on a mass scale.

Christina is a member of the PGAV Zoo Design Specialty Development Team.  She has been working at PGAV since 2008.  She has a Masters Degree in Architecture from Kansas State University, and is especially proud of her work on the currently under-construction Sea Lion Sound at the St. Louis Zoo.

Animal of the Month: Elephant (February)

So, much like the rest of the world, even a professional development team runs a little late.  Its April, and we're still working on our submission from March.  And, apparently, I am more behind than everyone since I am just now posting our Animal of the Month from February! Without further adieu...Here is your Animal of the Month for February 2011: Elephants.

Elephant SDT AotM February

Green Design in Zoos

Back in October 2010, I was honored to be a part of the AZFA (American Zoo Facilities Association) National Conference in St. Louis, MO.  In the shadow of my green genius partner, Mariusz Bleszynski (AIA, LEED AP), we presented a talk about the real nuts and bolts of green design in a zoo exhibit.

Because so much green design talk is generalized, we decided to tackle the issue head-on.  What are the practical applications of green construction in a zoo?  Most zoos utilize green methods somewhere on site, but usually it's applied in what I call the "easy places": nutrition centers, gift shops, special events pavilions.  Places that are typical construction in a non-traditional setting.  But the question always comes up...how do we make a green EXHIBIT?

Mariusz and I put our heads together and came up with a list of specific things that can, in some cases, be easily incorporated into an exhibit.  In other cases, its more difficult--generally because it costs more up front.

I've included a link to the AZFA 2010_If I Were A Green Exhibit powerpoint presentation, but for those who just want the highlights, here's a list of our top tips:

1.   Maximize Recycled Content: Reuse existing structures, spec materials that are recycled or can easily be recycled; Minimize non-recycled or hard to recycle materials like concrete!

2.  Use Geothermal Heating / Cooling: In thermally balanced environments, you can utilize this energy to heat / cool buildings and even small pools.  Wells can be placed almost anywhere, including beneath the exhibit or building.

3.  Use Solar Panels Strategically: Solar panels cost A LOT so use sparingly if at all UNLESS you have extra dollars to spend on green technology, want to create an educational exhibit, or can use to power specific items such as signage, interactives, lighting, gates, etc.

4.  Water Recycling: Can be any scale from rain barrels from roofs to zoo wide programs collecting run-off and wash down.  Can be used for exhibit wash down, irrigation, and toilet flushing.

5. Use Native Plants: Eliminates irrigation and fertilization needs and can be selected to mimic just about any environment.

6. Use Water Based Chillers instead of Traditional Air Based: More efficient, less noisy, longer lasting.  25% more expensive.  A bargain!

Within the presentation, we outlined initial costs, return on investment, and developed imagery to help everyone understand how these green technologies affect the visitor experience.

What is your zoo doing to become more green?

Kansas City Zoo's Master Plan in Full Swing

Currently, PGAV is working with several zoos to master plan for the coming years.  One of our current clients is the Kansas City Zoo.  We've been working with them for several years now, helping them with the new entrance and the polar bear exhibit.

Kansas City Zoo's number one problem is its size.  The Zoo, which is easily one of the largest in the U.S., is spread across 200 acres, requiring guests to spend a majority of their visit simply walking from one attraction to another.  In a long term effort to curb this, the Zoo has already started bringing animals to the front of the zoo.  Beyond that, the new master plan intends to create concentrated zones of exhibits where guests can easily take in all of the experiences and feel they've accomplished something for the day, while leaving unvisited areas for another day.  This approach is something that other zoos should consider as most zoos are local attractions--most guests come from nearby and they come several times a year.

For some reason, this master plan has been receiving a lot of press.  Below are a few links for additional information:

"Master plan for Kansas City Zoo calls for 'mini-zoos,' more attractions and entertainment." Associated Press

"KC Zoo considers blueprint for the future: three zoos in one." Kansas City Star

For more master plan images, click here.

Honolulu Classes it Up!

Honolulu Zoo recently revealed the newest of their renovation work: a new Entry experience.   The project has been ongoing since 2002, apparently falling victim to the ever-present issue of budget problems.  The final cost of the new entry was just about $3 million. The old entry dated back to the 1960's, and while, in my opinion, seemed to visually represent Hawai'i quite well, it apparently had lived its life.

The new entry is quite beautiful, drawing both from the vernacular architecture and the Hawaiian landscape for inspiration.  It adds capacity and increases the gift shop to 2000sf.  Unfortunately, from what I can see, they did not incorporate any animals immediately upon entrance, which seems to be the hot trend as of late.

How Animal Behavior Drives Zoo Design

Some designers begin with a poem.  Others look at the educational message.  Still others envision a place.  I always start with the animal. When I start my design process with the animal, I don't literally mean that I sit down with Google (or even--do you remember this--flipping through books!) spending  hours researching the animal's natural history.  What I mean is that I immediately register what I know about that animal and have that inform all aspects of design.  Of course, I've been doing this for a while and I have quite a bit of animal trivia logged away in my own dusty library of grey matter.

But, really, what is it that informs design?  What information about an animal is truly useful in creating its surroundings?  The subject of animal behavior is a nearly unending panacea of amazing stories, but determining what facts help inform design can be an overwhelming question.

For fun, below is my absolute favorite (and quintessential) animal behavior example.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4NtegAOQpSs]

To help you navigate the masses of information available about specific animals, I've condensed the vast subject of animal behavior into six basic categories relevant to zoo designers.

1. Food Acquisition:  Are they carnivores, omnivores, or herbivores?

2. Social Structure:  Do they live in groups, pairs, or singly?

3. Time of Activity: Are they nocturnal, diurnal, or crepuscular (active at dawn and dusk)?

4. Micro-Habitat: Do they live primarily in trees (arboreal), on land (terrestrial), in water (aquatic), or some combination of any or all of the three?

5. Personality: Are they shy, curious, skittish, indifferent, vicious?

6. Reproduction: Does their reproductive strategy require any particular element in their physical environment?

Each of the above will provide insight into the physical surroundings that will best house an animal in captivity.  For example, carnivores tend to exert energy in bursts, spending the rest of the day sleeping.  They also tend to prefer the high vantage points where they can scan the horizon and smell the air.  Knowing this, we'd immediately suggest providing this carnivore with several high points in their exhibit, preferably where they can be in close proximity to the guest as they sleep.  Jungala at Busch Gardens achieves this well with their tiger pop-up--highest point of the exhibit is actually a viewing window!

Another great example is the amazing bower bird.  We could easily create just another generic aviary with a gravel floor or concrete basin.  But understanding their reproductive behavior would allow us to create an environment whereby they are able to create their own habitat.  {Or, more than that, we could re-create one of their creations on the guest side of things in order to illustrate their great ability.}

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GPbWJPsBPdA]

Beyond these basics, understanding animal behavior encourages us to strive for ever-more enriching environments.  To design an enrichment device, or simply to provide a habitat that provides the most basic form of enrichment--choice, requires that you understand the natural history of an animal.

Oftentimes designers who do not have a specialization in animals, jump immediately to the guest experience; creating a place or a story for the visitor.  But, we must understand that a good guest experience at a zoological park revolves around the ANIMAL, not the setting we create.  People come to the park to see animals.  And if the animals look unhealthy or unhappy, the most beautiful ancient Mayan ruins won't save the experience.  Look to the animals first.  Be inspired by their lives before creating a story, and you'll see that your final product will be by far the best experience possible for both guests and the animals living there.

Every animal has a story.  Its our job to tell it.

Resources:

"Integrating Animal Behavior and Exhibit Design" by John Seidensticker and James Doherty

"Part Five: Behavior" from Wild Mammals in Captivity

Dolphins, "We've been trying to tell you for yeeeaaarrrsss now..."

Last week, the PGAV Zoo Design Specialty Development Team met to discuss enrichment.  As prep for this discussion, we read a few short articles, including this one from Jon Coe.  In it, he asserts that the purpose of enrichment is to provide animals with Competence, Choice and Collaboration. Competence, according to Coe, is the ability to perform natural behaviors at a level that which, if when returned to the wild, the animal would be able to sustain itself.

Choice is the basic fundamental of enrichment, in my eyes.  Just like us, animals in captivity are happier when  able to assert some level of control over their lives.  Providing animals with choices, like micro-climate or socio-behavioral options, as well as more advanced choices, like problem solving, will enhance their lives incalculably.

And finally, we arrive at Collaboration.  This concept was something I hadn't really considered until reading Coe's article, but the idea is fairly straight-forward.  Some enrichment allows a relationship between keeper and animal that would not otherwise occur; the keeper and animal work together, or the animal relies on the trainer in order to achieve something.  Training as enrichment is the obvious example here.

I mention all of this because of a video clip one of the SDT members shared with us last week.  Beyond being absolutely mind-blowing (but also, not really!), it truly supported the idea of Collaborative enrichment AND Choice.  Fast forward to 7:45.

Enjoy!

http://www-tc.pbs.org/video/media/swf/PBSPlayer.swf

Watch the full episode. See more NOVA scienceNOW.

Help Out a Zoo...Amazon Wishlists

Enrichment is a daily task for zoos.  Whether hiding treats in a primate exhibit, building meat filled paper mache pumpkins for anxious tigers, or replacing tires hanging from chains in the rhino enclosure, enrichment is a key part of every keeper's day.

And a unwelcome cost to every zoo's budget.

But now supportive guests can help their favorite zoos lessen the burden of this necessary expense by purchasing items on Amazon.com!

I'm not sure how long zoos have been taking advantage of this service (as a loyal Amazon customer, I'm a little embarrassed that I am just now realizing this option exists!), but its an easy way for them to acquire much needed items, whether enrichment related or just general needs.

You want to help out?  Well, here's how:

Visit Amazon.com, and click on Gifts & Wishlists near the top.  Then click 'Wishlists'.  This will take you to a search screen.  Just enter the name of the zoo you'd like to help (or just enter 'zoo' and scroll to find yours), and the wishlist will appear.  Currently, there are about 20 zoos taking advantage of this service.

Snow Day at the Zoo!

As this week’s monster winter storm sweeps across the country, I keep hearing one thing:  Snow Day!  Not for me, of course, but the magic of the snow day, even if it’s a treasure that now only others get to enjoy, is infectious. The snow day! To me, it’s luxuriating in the extra hours of winter sleep snuggled under a pile of thick blankets.  It’s waking up at noon and pulling on my snow pants over my pjs, my moon boots over my thick wool socks, and squeezing my puffball hat over my tangled mess of bed head hair, then venturing out with my similarly dressed sister and neighborhood compadres to build a mazelike snow fort through the front yard.  And only after pelting each other with perfectly compacted snowballs until Timmy’s red and snowy face gives way to tired tears do we succumb to the cold and go back inside to lay our soaked mittens, hats and scarves on the wood stove and warm up with a cup of hot cocoa.  Ah the snow day!

But these days, snow days mean a little more to me.  They mean a zoo-born Siberian tiger in Tennessee who’s never seen snow before.  They mean the beaver in the Minnesota Zoo who’s hidden inside his iced over dam, cuddled up hopefully next to the guest viewing window.  They mean the polar bears luxuriating in the extra hours of winter sleep snuggled under a pile of thick, white snow.

They mean experiences people forget to experience at the zoo.

Winter is not prime time for most temperate zoos.  Winter is in fact the lost season.  The dredges.  The figurative Atlantis.  The time for zoos to get projects done since no one is at the zoo anyway.  But what if winter wasn’t the dead zone for zoos?  Can we make winter exciting for guests, and profitable for zoos?

We’re asking that question right now with one of our master plan clients.  Winter is traditionally the forgotten time for them.  Half the zoo essentially shuts down.  No food or drink carts can be found.  No Dippin’ Dots, no popcorn stands.  Most of the restaurants and satellite retail shops are shut down, too.  Not to mention the rides, and the shows.

They do this, they say, because most January and February days see only a lowly 15 people, up to 100 on a good day.  And this makes sense.   In this way, they keep the operating costs down.

But what if we didn’t need to shut down most of the zoo? What if we made an attempt to get guests to show up, even on a snowy cold day like the ones we’re seeing this week?  What if snow day meant Zoo Day?

As part of the master plan process, we’ve done a quick survey of zoo websites to see if anyone out there is making a big deal out of winter.  Generally speaking, most zoos are not.

Some zoos do market special themed weekends with unique activities like ice sculpture carving and music and dance presentations.  Toledo Zoo even gives it a cute name…Frozentoesen!  Some zoos, like Toledo, also have added more indoor activities like an activity zone with bouncy houses and climbing equipment.

But what was missing was an actual campaign to show visitors what a great day they can have at the zoo during the winter.  What about mapping out a winter experience route that not only highlights the indoor experiences and the shortest routes between them, but also stops at exhibits where animals will be more active and happy in the winter, like the polar bears?  If zoos marketed this specific route, told people how long a walk it was between indoor activities, and maybe went the extra mile to provide enclosed transport from the furthest points, maybe we’d see an increase in attendance.   We know people are willing to come to the zoo in the winter, as witnessed by the saturation of holiday lights programs at zoos across the country—and the success of all of these programs.  But what is it that keeps these folks from coming during the day hours?

I think it’s a simple lack of understanding that the zoo is just as good a winter experience (and sometimes better) as a summer experience.

Of course, we could also do as the Minnesota Zoo does, and physically plan the zoo to have a continuous linkage between indoor zoo experiences thus providing a wholly indoor winter time zoo.  But for those who aren’t ready, willing or able to go down that road, why not just first try with simple marketing campaigns and guest experience strategies.  Why not just first try.  Why not just…try?

Speak up.  Let me know why or why not you don’t visit the zoo in the winter.  Or, let me know if your zoo does anything special for winter experiences.

Zoo Exhibits in Three Acts

Forgive me. This post will not wrap up cleanly. There will be no final conclusion. No simple 5 step process. This post is simply my musings on design philosophy in zoos. So indulge me. But just don’t expect a Hollywood ending. Last night, I took my husband begrudgingly to the movies to watch “Black Swan”--which he was unwilling to see until one of his buddies had seen it and confirmed that it was, in fact, worthy of a watch. To me, it was breathtaking. Mesmerizing. Exhilarating. But this is not a website on film review, so I’ll leave it at that. But, what is relevant is the fact that, a day later, I am still thinking about it. Analyzing what made it appeal to me so much. Obsessed with how it attached itself around my subconscious, seeping into my most mundane daily thoughts. How did it achieve this? What made it so special to me?

12052010_MillepiedBlackSwan1

The matter is important in the context of zoo design for one simple reason: this level of affect is the goal of zoo exhibits. We are in the business of creating experiences and memories that so tightly hang in your mind that you have no choice but to not only think about the plight of wildlife or the environment, but take action to protect it. That’s the real goal, isn’t it? Name the last exhibit that did this to you. Go ahead. Try.

To say that exhibits rarely achieve this is an understatement. So, on my morning walk through the woods with the dog (and I’ll amend that for today’s walk to ‘on my snowy morning walk’), I continued to obsess. And I think I figured it out.

Think about any story that grabbed you—a film, a book, a campfire tale. Most were told in the familiar and customary three act structure. If you haven’t been to literature class in twenty or so years, here’s the Cliff’s Notes version: a story is divided into three simple parts—the Setup, the Confrontation, the Resolution. A three act structure allows the listener (or viewer) to first empathize or relate to the main character, understand (and care about) the basic problem the story is addressing, then finally celebrate the resolution of said problem. Practically all major movies follow this structure, and most books do as well. It is followed because it works. It’s as simple as that. Now, just because a film or book follows this format, doesn’t mean the story or the execution won’t fall flat, absolutely ruining an otherwise fine idea. There must be more. There must be something that draws you in. You must first empathize with the character (or animal, in our case). You have to relate to him or her. In the first act, we must see a little bit of ourselves in the subject—our failures, our faults, our dreams, our aspirations—or we’ll just not care.

3Acts536x401

Empathy can carry us only so far, and as we move through the action, or confrontation, something else needs to take hold. We already care about the character, now what makes us hold on? In “Black Swan”, the hook was a purely visceral, physical reaction. This movie was R rated, so the director expertly leveraged sex, drugs, and pain (which I’ve never seen, nor will I, I’m guessing, ever see in a zoo setting!), but combined with the familiar Swan Lake melodies and simple beauty of dance, the body was fully engaged.

swans

This movie was about evoking a physical reaction, every bit as much as it was about the emotional. And nothing I’ve ever seen brought the two together as well as during the resolution of the film. Built into a tidal wave of chaotic flurry, where every frame was an expertly composed visual feast, and moment after moment brought tension and exhilaration to its absolute apex, then, just as we believe we can take no more, the film concluded. Right there. Right at the peak. Leaving you breathless, body abuzz in euphoria. I left the theater alight. Grinning from ear to ear despite the desperately tragic film I’d just experienced. And I’m still thinking about it. Still wondering how we achieve this kind of attachment to zoo exhibits. How we achieve this moment of perfection.

Teaching the Next Generation Zoo Designers

People are always floored when they learn what I do for a living.  I don't blame them.  It's not like high school guidance counselors are pushing kids to become zoo designers or aquarium architects.  There are no high-profile television shows about zoo designers, no yearly review of the best zoo design schools at the best price.

Ultimately, this lack of awareness about our field brings questions.  And one that is always, guaranteed to come up is 'where did you learn to do this?'  When I describe  my homemade educational program achieved through determination, passion and a plucky ingenuity,  indelibly, my listener almost always appears disappointed with my answer.

So, in an effort to reduce the looks of disappointment that my fellow zoo designers must endure, I've introduced a new educational, career development program within PGAV.  This program is called the "Specialty Development Group (SDT)."

At PGAV, we have many specialists: ride designers, green designers, interpretive & storyline developers, resort designers, among others.  And most of these specialists learned their trade through their own plucky ingenuity and years of experience.  But, we have many young people at PGAV as well.  People who have a passion for destinations like theme parks, aquariums and zoos, but who may not have had the chance to pursue a specialty in school due to strict program requirements.

In an effort to fully develop these young designers, we've decided to actively teach them, rather than hope they pick up the nuances of these specialties through on the job training.  The Zoo Design SDT which I lead is the pilot program.  We have a small group of three trainees, myself as leader, and a VP, who has over 20 years of experience in the animal exhibitry field.

We meet once a month for about an hour.  In this time, we discuss any news that we've found interesting over the last month, including project news or world zoo / aquarium happenings.  We usually have one person give a quick site visit presentation (they are required to visit 3 zoos or aquariums over the yearlong course), then delve into the monthly discussion or lecture.

The monthly topics are pre-determined via syllabus and have been chosen and arranged to allow a logical flow from general zoo design philosophy into specifics, like LSS design and enrichment.  This portion of the program is very much like a class, with required readings, in-meeting activities, discussions, formal lectures and guest speakers.

Beyond these meetings, we go on field trips together, and we create a monthly Animal of the Month info sheet to be shared with the entire PGAV office.  These sheets cover everything from the basics (animal size, conservation status, behavior, social structure) to husbandry requirements and recommendations to the world's best exhibits.

The participants are also required to write two papers during the year.  The first, a simple white paper, is open to any topic of interest to the participant, limited only to the subject of zoo or aquarium design.  The second, and final project, is a paper addressing the future of zoo design--a topic of great interest to everyone in zoo design.

Of particular note, the SDT is not supposed to function as a class.  Everyone attending the meetings must partake in the activities and homework.  So, as leader, not only do I create the lesson plan and lectures, but I also do research for the Animal of the Month info sheets, write papers, and present on site visits.  In this way, not only do the newbies learn, but the experienced zoo designers continue to learn as well.

Personally, I've found the SDT has renewed my passion and required me to not site idly by, as is so easy to do as a professional.  This type of professional development requires me to evaluate day to day work, to think more deeply about philosophy and ethics and about the long-term implications of everything we do as designers.

Even more, I'm so proud of our participants who, despite a very taxing workload, are able to attend meetings regularly, excitedly share experiences, and think critically about the topics we discuss.

I'm very proud to be leading the charge to help educate our future zoo design leaders and hope other professionals at zoo design firms  take advantage of our experiences with this issue.

If you are interested in our program description or syllabus, please email me directly.  I'm glad to share!

What is Bravery?

Yesterday, Wordpress (the website that allows me to bring this blog to you) sent me an e-mail suggesting that I write a post addressing “the bravest thing you’ve ever done.”  It struck me that I could apply that question directly to my profession, as often bravery is at the heart of design. To be “brave”, according to Dictionary.com, means:

1. To meet or face courageously: to brave misfortunes.

2. To defy; challenge; dare.

How often do I meet or face courageously?  I might generously answer: daily.  Some might say just getting out of bed can be an act of courage.  But that’s not what we’re talking about here.  Daily, as design professionals, we must make decisions.  We must choose the width of a path, the height of a wall, the length of a beam.  We must decide how to communicate our ideas to our peers and to our clients.  We must be courageous to suggest our deepest thoughts to those who are capable of shooting us down with a shake of the head, crushing our hours of glorious contemplation in a split second.  We must speak our minds and forge a path.  As designers, some might argue, requires courage daily.  Not to mention braving misfortunes.

But I’m more intrigued by the second definition.  To defy.  To challenge.  To Dare.  How often do we actually reach those lofty heights?  How often do we truly put our necks out-- suggest something contrary to our clients’ preconceived notions; contrary to our bosses’ well-intentioned strategies?  Not often, I’d guess.

As I’ve said before, design, especially zoo design, tends to push forth, birthing innovation once in a blue moon, only to then regurgitate and spew forth a lesser and lesser version of that once impressive original concept.  Instead of continually challenging our designs, instead of continually working to improve the previous iteration, to learn from our mistakes and successes, we far too often just simply pull out examples and drawings from the last time we built that barrier or concepted that raptor exhibit, and copy.  Copy.  Copy.

So as I consider the question ‘What is the bravest thing I’ve ever done?’ I realize, embarrassingly, I haven’t done it yet.

New Year, New Posts...I Promise!

Dear readers...I owe you an apology.  I left you alone in the confusing and exhilarating world of zoos and aquariums.  I left you to fend for yourselves; to find information on new exhibits and zoo design philosophy through the oft harrowing, oft frightening, and always tedious process of Googling (or Binging, if you're a Windows devotee).  I do apologize for leaving you this way.  I am forever in your debt.

Personally, I've been amazingly busy--as a direct result of the success of my employers, PGAV.  Most of my year has been dedicated to a confidential project in Asia, causing me to visit 5 times over the course of the year.  Additionally, my "little zoo that could" Big Bear Zoo has started up again with a new site and a renewed sense of urgency.  We began work on a 15 year master plan with the amazing Columbus Zoo (Jack Hanna's home base, for those who are unfamiliar), and we've won the master plan project for another promising zoo, the Tulsa Zoo.

Beyond billable hours, I've developed an in-house career development program for blossoming young zoo designers, called the Zoo Design Specialty Development Team.  We're halfway through the first year of the guinea pig group, and together we've all grown as designers.

So what does 2011 hold for all of us? I won't claim to be clairvoyant, but I can create a plan.  So, here it is for DesigningZoos.

1. Sharing progress and projects of PGAV's Zoo Design Specialty Development Team (ZDSDT)

2. Sharing site visits and Zoo / Aquarium reviews completed by me and the ZDSDT

3. Opening up the floor to guest posts

4. Continuing to share resources

5. Continuing posting about new exhibits and other zoo news

So, welcome back everyone!  If you have ideas for topics of posts or would like to share your thoughts in the form of a guest post, please contact me directly.

San Diego Zoo's Elephant Odyssey

In May of this year, San Diego Zoo opened it's complex Elephant Odyssey.  Incorporating a plethora of animal species revolving around the idea of extinction in California, the new exhibit zone presents a unique organizing element rarely seen in zoos: an abstract idea rather than biogeographic or Linnean systematics.  Animals as diverse as African lions, Californian condors, and South American capybaras find homes in the Elephant Odyssey, and although the cerebral organizing element is unique, it remains to be seen if it is successful.  Let me break it down for you: California used to have a wide range of animals living on her land, but over time these species have become extinct.  However, sister species still exist elsewhere in the world, and here they are with graphic panels and sculptural representations of the now extinct counterpart.  Its strangeness may actually work to help make the story more clear--perhaps this jumble of seemingly unrelated animals will make people curious enough to actually read the panels for more information, and finally, the guests may walk away understanding a complex storyline related to their zoo experience.  But, maybe I'm overly optimistic.

From the photos I've seen, the Zoo decided to keep naturalism at a minimum, giving the place a clearly sterile, mechanized and utilitarian quality.  Of course, the exhibit is brand new and thus vegetation has not had a chance to grow in, but the prominence and visibility of barriers and other steely cold elements leads me to believe no amount of vegetation will ever create a natural environment throughout the Odyssey exhibits.  Perhaps the Zoo should've deleted a few species to subsidize a softer, more comfortable experience.

The Stats:

• $45 million for entire exhibit area
• 7.5 acres total
• 35 species of animals
• 2.4 acres of elephant habitat (including 137,000 gallon pool with 7.5' deep end)
• 7 elephants (1 African, 6 Asian, including one bull)
• Brand new on-exhibit elephant care facility
• Restaurant overlooking the elephants
• Gift shop

Not sure if the $45 million also included their amazing exhibit website, but check it out here for more information.