ZooChat Exhibit Design Competition #2

Can the zoo bring the terrain of the bank to make it accessible for their animals or for other reasons(filter access, visitor attraction etc.)?

 

One thing I'm wondering about is whether all of those tropical trees would be able to survive outside through a UK winter?

 

(Not part of the competition)

First of all I'd like to say, this exhibit design competition looks like a great idea, I might be interested in joining, even.

In fact it's a shame this contest didn't take place a few months earlier, because I made an exhibit plan of a very similar area then! I spent a good few hours on an area with the same theme a couple months ago, it's really a shame it júst doesn't quite fit the specifications or I'd edit and submit it haha. Here it is:

Liberian Passage: Pygmy hippopotamus exhibit plan. by NFWG on DeviantArt

Thought you guys might be able to use the inspiration!

 

Yes, but it is of course costly.

 

Are there multiple pools in the hippo and croc holding buildings to separate the animals? In the case of the crocs are there incubators and raise-up areas for eggs and hatchlings? What of facilities to grow them out? Is there sufficient storage for rodents, fish and other prey items for the crocs like freezers, fridges and areas to thaw out rodents? Is there a raise up area for crickets and other bugs for hatchling crocs? Is there a prep area to prepare the thawed out rodents? Standard sink or dishwasher used to clean cutlery after chopping up rodents for smaller individuals? Are the pools heated for the crocs indoors or are you using heat lamps? Thanks

 

- Is the zoo located in the hot or cold climate? If all animals need winter houses, space constrains change dramatically.
- Do we need to plan filters at the outflow?
- Is keeper access road the same as visitor access road? Do keepers have other access eg. through the gates from outside the zoo?
- Can the creek function as animal moat? I assume not, because it flows in from the busy city area (pollution), which also makes filtering unnecessary (no direct contact with animal exhibits).
- Can we plan viewing points from the south across the creek?

 

This is tricky to do well (at best) and illegal at worst. The animals will destroy the bank causing potentially serious erosion into their enclosure and beyond; without full knowledge of the soils and of the regular and seasonal water flows in the creek it can only be an idea to explore. One also must think of the hippo waste and what happens downstream. Of course, there's no mention of restricting where they go in the creek so perhaps the hippos will end up in the sea.

I love that you gave such thought to the trees but if these survive in the UK it would only likely be in the furthest corner of Cornwall, wouldn't it? (And that is unlikely for some of them)

Take your time with your Entry in the competition and think over every aspect. Ask yourself what could go wrong. After you finish, put it aside for a few days and study it again. You have two months!

 

I'm letting the designer pick the climate this round.

Preferred that keeper access and visitor access not overlap.

I'll leave the creek as a moat design to the individual designers.

No, that area is already built up.

 

I didn't realize that much detail into the crocodile care was needed. I thought that sort of care is expected in any zoo regardless.

 

Red colobus might actually be easier to keep than we think. They eat lots of ficus, which is pretty common in horticulture. There's been a lot of progress with leaf monkeys, and no one's kept the reds since when? The 1970's? I think that they would be able to adapt to modern captivity very well.

~ Thaumatibis

 

Can somebody recommend me some program where can I make some basic sketches and/or 3D models? (Downloadable for free preferably)

 

Google SketchUp is pretty good. Its the same program that was used to make the template for this challenge. You can keep it to just a 2D layout, or 3D or both.

 

When does this need to be done by?

Also is there any extra points for replacing the existing channelized river with a more environmentally conscious green infrastructure system?

Also, anyway that you can provide a scale for your base map? Any topography that we have to worry about?

 

This looks like a fun challenge.
With regards to the no signs rule, are we to take that to mean no writing on or near exhibits? Or could written information be presented in a more integrated way?

 

Also, is this rule pertaining to the traditional species ID signs only? Can we have "themed" signs, articles, or notices that go along with the theme of the exhibit that aren't necessarily educational signage?

 

That's fine. Certain signs are sometimes legally required.

 

The zoo wants to get away from traditional written information. Remember, between 80 and 85% of all zoo visitors do not read signs at all.

 

November 12th.

Yes.

I can send you the SketchUp file to work with. I need to do a topographical version.

 

Are there statistics as to what they DO read?

 

Mostly Twilight and Ayn Rand.