“How zoos can benefit from Zoo Thinking: A creative approach to modern zoo design and architecture”
Kieran Stanley, CEO, Founder, Creative Director, dan pearlman Experience Architecture
Zoos have a vital role in safeguarding biodiversity. By implementing activities within their premises and initiatives around the world, they actively advocate for and raise awareness about the importance of conserving wildlife.
As architects for zoo design, our responsibility is to aid them in this critical endeavor by designing zoo facilities that prioritize animal welfare and motivate visitors to commit to biodiversity and nature conservation. The work we undertake for zoos establishes a context for wildlife conservation that tries to bring this crucial issue to the forefront of society.
Our “Zoo Thinking” approach is a holistic approach to planning sustainable, innovative, and immersive zoos, wholly or partially. The zoo is a “living organism,” defined by the interactions between animals, visitors, and operations. Therefore, the model sees the zoo as a unit made up of three building blocks: animal, operations and visitor. It is based on a three-sided equilibrium, in which the three organs are assigned equal weight. These organs work together to create a dynamic and immersive experience for visitors while ensuring the health and wellbeing of the animals in their care.
I am convinced that zoos and aquariums have a future as holistic educational, research and species protection institutions as well as leisure attractions. The” Zoo Thinking” model co-creates efficient and sustainable animal and human-friendly spaces that focus on the well-being of animals and humans alike whilst fulfilling and future proofing this mandate. Our goal in all our work is not only to achieve functional efficiency, but also to bring visitors closer to animals on both physical and emotional levels, inspiring them to develop a deeper appreciation for nature and its wildlife.
