Proposed Aquarium and Reptile House
There is a severe lack of non-mammalian, non-avian representation at Central Zoo. The demand is there, as proven by survey results which were primarily skewed to favor fish and snakes. Although, the location of where I was situated while collecting those surveys might have added some level of bias (I was right next to the aquarium section). Regardless, there was also a pop-up aquarium exhibit that had opened opposite the zoo around the same time as I was taking the surveys, that proved to be a major success drawing huge crowds each day.
The demand is there, and with proper planning and preparation, I believed that we could make an aquarium and reptile house that could match, and even exceed, international accreditation standards at Central Zoo. This idea, stemming from a childhood dream, led me on a 6 month journey in trying to prove that such a bold ideas can indeed come to fruition.
Problems and Considerations
Current offerings include less than a dozen species
Exhibits are lacking functional and visual elements
Lack of proper informational materials
New design needs to focus on welfare
Easy staff access
Low maintenance
Indoors for better climate control, lighting, and rain cover
Naturalistic enclosures with dynamic conditions
I’ve always held a deep love for fish, and herps. Yet my country didn’t really have much to offer for someone holding on to such a passion. Central Zoo’s exhibits and displays for these amazing animals had always left me wanting more. Something more substantial.
To potentially bring about that change, I knew I had to go above and beyond for this project. Doing so reignited a burning passion, a passion that still burns in me today.
Of all the projects I undertook during my time at Central Zoo, this was by far the most thorough. I met with manufacturers, suppliers, civil engineers, welfare experts, creating a team of like minded individuals sharing that passion and vision. Together we created a budget which we presented to the board of directors of both Central Zoo, and their parent organization NTNC (National Trust for Nature Conservation).
The Initial Idea
A flooded Amazon river basin was my initial idea for a truly show stopping exhibit. This was an enormous 9m x 9m x 4.5m (30ft x 30ft x 15ft) tank that was intended to house arapaima, pacu, catfish, and plenty more wonders of the Amazon. It would have giant panels of acrylic and offer guests a proper look inside one of the most biodiverse rivers in the world. Yet, it was also the enormous cost of those panels that eventually put an end to this idea.
Final Design
This was my final design iteration for Central Zoo’s proposed Aquarium and Reptile House. It features a two story building with private staff access to all enclosures, spacious walkways, 33 exhibits, automated life support systems, earthquake ready enclosures, and so much more. The stacked design helps maximize space while also diverting foot traffic seamlessly through each themed section of the exhibit.
The one thing missing from this design was a ramp for wheelchair access to the lower level.
Final Thoughts
The final design is also quite efficient with how it utilizes the space. The current section uses approximately double the square footage of my design, while only providing a third of the enclosures.
Although the project did get stuck in limbo with my departure, I believe that I’ll go back one day, leveraging all the knowledge, skills, and network I will have built to bring an even better version of this dream into reality.
Top down view of the lower level, which would house all the aquariums and a dwarf crocodile exhibit.
Upper level for all the herps. The main showstoppers are the king cobra, anaconda, and Burmese python exhibits.
A render of the old flooded river basin exhibit.
Render of older version of the aquarium and reptile house.
Render of the top section of the flooded river basin exhibit, potentially housing capybaras or sloths.