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| Auckland Zoo: A
Passion for Ecological Sustainability |
The
new Auckland Zoo Entry Complex encompasses facilities to house Zoo
operations, administration, management offices, ticketing booths,
visitor services and classrooms over four new buildings.
An open
courtyard surrounded by the new buildings allows visitors a preview of
the range of attractions available prior to purchasing tickets.
Three new
classrooms and a dedicated education center have been incorporated to
cater to school groups, which make up the majority of the Zoo’s visitors
Monday to Friday. The classrooms incorporate animal enclosures and
habitats, and class sleepovers are planned to learn about particular
nocturnal species.
Since the
original facility was built in the late 1970’s visitor attendance has
nearly doubled to over 500,000 visitors a year, with the aim of reaching
1 million visitors annually in the next five to ten years.
Staff at
the zoo are passionate about ecological sustainability. A design brief
was developed in conjunction with the stakeholders and implemented in
the project.
The
sustainable features of the project include:
- Building
orientation and shading carefully considered to eliminate incident solar
radiation and minimize the impact of prevailing winds on natural
ventilation.
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- Natural ventilation
is provided via low level windows and high level louvers and light
wells, thus eliminating the need for air conditioning.
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- T5 fluorescent
lighting throughout.
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- Stormwater
collection and storage in tanks constructed from sustainably sourced
timber.
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- Grey water
reticulation is utilized for flushing, irrigation and animal wash down.
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Construction commenced in April
2004 and was completed in January 2005.
Lincolne
Scott provided consulting services for mechanical, electrical,
communications, fire protection and hydraulic services.
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