ZooChat Exhibit Design Competition #2

Thank you Jurek7. Yeah the palms and lianas might be a stretch but artistic licence is a beautiful thing when trying to sell a design, lol.

I like your design, very well thought out and detailed write up.

 

Here is my final submission. I haven't changed too much; bit of a collision of lack of time and lack of inspiration.

The main changes are:
Some enclosures were shifted around and the Owlet avairy dropped to create more green space.
The extra monkey islands were removed and a third island for Drill added in their space.
The event space was removed from under the dome, and a new one was created on top of it, where the reedbuck were. This allowed more holding space under the dome, so the Bongo offshow was moved there. Banded Mongoose were added to the remaining area on top of the dome.
In light of the recent change in conservation status of African vultures, the large avairy now holds three species instead of one.

Congratulations to some of the other contestants, who are clearly working on a higher plane than me. Once again this has been fun.
FG

 

My entry

Alright 25 minutes till deadline in my country, so here I am presenting you my final Design.

I tried take into account all your tips (thanks for them, once again) and decided to redesign some parts. I also changed some species. Participating in this competition was great fun and I´m looking forward to next rounds

 

Jurek

Theme 17
Collection 20
Exhibits 18
Visitor experience 12
Reqiurments 19
Write-up 17
Landscape 15
Interp./Conserv. 16
134/160

This turned out to be a hard one to grade. I read through the whole document several times.

1. Your collection is outstanding. Extremely diverse.
2. Everything is there, but the layout seems to me to be bland. You have a simple loop design, save for the initial area with otters and hippos (which in my opinion is the best area of the design). Past that, it's like a great meal that put onto a paper plate. It tastes fantastic, but it's all out there in the open.
3. I like the elevated walkway, but not that it exactly mirrors the existing visitor pathway. If it took you on a different/winding route, it would be far more effective.
4. The mixed species rotational exhibits are great, but will definitely need some management from the keepers (but the end result will be outstanding).
5. It still needs more green space to buffer the exhibits. You've added several from the first submission, but it still has the feel that exhibit breathing room is not a concern. You have a huge list of plants, but a lot of those would have to be hotwired off to survive inside of an exhibit.

 

Sealife357

Theme 10
Collection 15
Exhibits 12
Visitor experience 12
Reqiurments 15
Write-up 12
Landscape 2
Interp./Conserv. 12
90/160

Conference center has no direct access, especially for catering
6 bongo/hog exhibits is over kill, Combine or eliminate
If entire building is indoors, there's no need for a separate aviary
6 duiker/hippo exhibits is overkill
14d will be skipped by many visitors, hard to find
No landscaping at all, in fact, this exhibit destroys the existing forest
No way to transport hippos/duiker to exhibit/holding
No way of transporting bongos/hogs to exhibit

The concept of having two indoor pavilions is really counterproductive to recreating a rainforest feel. In the construction, you will have to destroy the existing forest, and in that result, are you any better than the people destroying the rainforest you're trying to protect? To that effect, you have no landscaping elements - no green space.

The overall layout is confusing. There is constant backtracking involved. There are a few dead ends.

You have no service access to some of your barns, which makes transporting animals and hauling waste impossible.

You have multiple redundant exhibits. These can be reduced or eliminated.

Conservation is not built into the exhibit.

The entry to the exhibit is uninviting. Welcome to Africa - now here's a restaurant.

 

Here's my final design submission.

 

Thanks jbnbsn99, it was fun competition and looking forward to next round. Tell us, was it based on some actual zoo?

Drew, congrats for winning

Drew and Ituri - your drawings are fantastic. What programs and tools you use?

 

No one's won yet. I haven't finished grading everything.

Nope, this was not a real situation. Next one might be though.

 

Thanks Jurek. My perspective image was done in SketchUp with a rendering plugin called Podium and a little bit of post-processing in PhotoShop. My site plan was done using a CAD tool for the linework and PhotoShop for the colors and textures.

 

I hand sketched the siteplan and used photoshop to add the color and text. For the perspectives I used Sketchup to make the bones of the treehouse perspective and photoshop on all three to create the color, texture, and people.

 

I'm still working in crayon

 

Seems that strategy is paying off based on the results you get.

 

It has it´s pros and cons. Sometimes it looks better than graphic made on PC, but when you have drawing skills of kindergartener like me...

 

FUnkyGibbon

Theme 5
Collection 18
Exhibits 15
Visitor experience 10
Reqiurments 12
Write-up 10
Landscape 5
Interp./Conserv. 5
80/160

• Two-story stable can't physically work
• Holding yards not shown on map
• I wouldn't worry about the hippos getting away from the bongos, I'd worry about the bongos getting away from the hippos
• No holding at all shown on map for hippos, bongos, or drills
• Or Diana monkeys
• Or duikers, mona monkeys, or otters
• Reinforced roof just for mongooses is a waste of money
• Public hog feeding not a safe idea
• "no attempt to create an immersive or naturalistic environment" is not acceptable
• Sapo Park Building is very clinical, not unlike a zoo exhibit from the late 1800s
• QR codes are not universally used. Aside from that, you have no interpretation.
• A donation box will collect trash and used chewing gum
• No water pump area for extra, non-creek water areas
• Landscaping is virtually non-existant
• No specified meeting space as required
• No restrooms

 

HOMIN96

Theme 9
Collection 18
Exhibits 17
Visitor experience 10
Reqiurments 15
Write-up 12
Landscape 3
Interp./Conserv. 5
89/160

• No service road to animal holdings
• Eland exhibit is too small
• Chimp exhibit straddles the creek, easy escape points here
• No water in hippo exhibit
• No exhibits shown for crocs or monitors in 6a
• No room for indoor seating at restaurant, probably no room for indoor guests at all
• No real way for guests to see Diana monkeys (3b)
• #24 is not needed. Those facilities should be with main animal holdings. Definitely does not need to be 2000 sq ft
• There is no landscaping at all save for the shaded ares shown on the map
• Sculptures of warriors borders on the "human zoo" concept. Borderline racist
• You mention various playground/rope park, but show none on the map
• Conservation is given a cursory discussion, but is not integral to the whole of the exhibit

 

Ituri

Theme 19
Collection 19
Exhibits 20
Visitor experience 20
Reqiurments 20
Write-up 17
Landscape 20
Interp./Conserv. 20
155/160

About as real world as an exhibit can get, and again like Drew's, one that could easily be built.

The bird banding/field station is a great idea, and one I'd like to see in real life. It would make aviaries far more interesting.
The trails system is well done, and will give the animals and keepers much flexibility.
Conservation is built directly into this exhibit, and everything about it is about centered on conservation.
The only drawback is the smaller write up, but I like the terse style with bullet points and pictures. It makes it far easier for me to read through and appraise. Hit the highlights and let the graphics tell the story.
Wading bird exhibit could easily house something like sitatunga.

 

Final Results

It's taken me a few days to grade all the submissions. I've spent about an hour or so with each one, so I hope each is a fair representation.

The final tally

Drew 157
Ituri 155
Jurek 134
LaughingDove 100
Sealife357 90
Homin96 89
FunkyGibbon 80

Congrats Drew!

Round 3 will appear shortly.

 

Congrats to everyone. Loved the ideas and designs as well as the challenge. Can't wait for round three.

 

jbnbsn99 - Thank you for the work you have put into this. The entries have been very interesting and your comments informative.

Congrats Drew - your entry was great - I want to go there.

 

Cincinnati has used a 2 story stable for several decades for various ungulates (upper level) and rhinoceros (lower level).

Montgomery mixes pygmy hippos with a variety of African ungulates.