February 9, 2011
I am working on some designs for new enclosures in a small zoo somewhere on the Mediterranean coast of Europe.
The enclosure pictured in the image below will house long tailed macaques but will also be useful for other monkey species. The three separate compartments all have tunnels (like small cave entrances) in the artificial rock. These tunnels lead into a satellite room which is an indoor area with a glass viewing window. Also there is a pool with a waterfall which macaques love. The zoo mesh is held up by long poles, the central ones disguised as gnarly old trees complete with hidey holes to put food items in.
I hope to give more updates on this project soon.
Macaque zoo enclosure concept drawing
April 16, 2010
Here are some images from a just completed Houthoff Zoo Design project. Designed to prevent animals from mingling with the visitors in Rotterdam Zoo’s Asia exhibit, this construction can withstand the force of a charging elephant. It also looks nice and we like things which look nice.
First we made a steel barrier and fixed it into the concrete walls and floor. Then, taking inspiration from the existing twenty year old jungle theming, we transformed the not so pretty structure into a fallen, decomposing tree. A ‘jungley’ paint job and a scattering of lichens completed the effect.
We are not sure if the elephants will appreciate the feng shui we performed for them but we sure think it looks better than a boring metal barrier.
