Adelaide Zoo wins BPN Sustainability Award

The Adelaide Zoo Entrance Precinct has been awarded a Highly Commended BPN Sustainability Award, announced in Sydney on 13 October 2010. Now in its fourth year, the Awards continue to reward designers, builders and manufacturers for best practice in sustainability.

photos : Peter Bennetts

Incorporating a number of leading environmental sustainable initiatives, the Adelaide Zoo Entrance Precinct competed in the Public Building & Urban Design Category and was commended by the judges for its achievements in one of Australia's driest cities.

The judges stated that: 'The complete integration of appropriate landscape with buildings makes an environment that is not only energy and water efficient, but which also provides a renewing and inspiring experience for visitors. They will be stimulated whilst there and will come away saying, "I can do that". This will encourage more people to engage with the incredible opportunities the Australian landscape offers.'

11 Aug 2010

Adelaide Zoo Entrance Precinct

Design : HASSELL

The Adelaide Zoo Entrance Precinct breathes new life into a once neglected part of the city of Adelaide. Dispensing with the traditional boundary between the Zoo and its surrounds, the new entrance invites visitors to view the sights and sounds of the Zoo from public forecourts. The Zoo boasts Australia's first purpose-designed 'green roof' to support wildlife shelter and extensive 'living walls' of native plants, making it a significant horticultural park and research centre as well as a world class zoo.

photos : Peter Bennetts

The result of an ambitious integration of physical, cultural and organisational strategies, the Entrance Precinct was designed around the core drivers of conservation, environment, education, and research.

The Precinct comprises a series of interlinked forecourts that unfold over 2000 square metres to create a natural transition and physical connection with surrounding roads, parklands and waterways. These new links through the forecourts provide access to cafes and exhibitions via safe, lit pathways, remediating a once unsafe part of Botanic Park and demonstrating the transformative capacity of urban design to promote safe, healthy and liveable cities.

photos : Peter Bennetts

Landscape and built form for the project have been considered as a single interwoven environment to create a unique Australian civic space. The external colour palette and materials reflect the Australian landscape, incorporating charcoal, spotted gum timber and native plants.

The project will become a platform for ongoing research into potential alternative models for built form to support and promote urban ecology, manage stormwater appropriately and enable more efficient performance in solar power generation.