AGAREM, Arabella Sybille E.

STS
3AR6 Mr. Daniel Albert Castillo, PhD (cand.)

ACTIVITY #3:
Zoo Exhibit Design Trends by Jon Charles Coe

1. Summarize in 3 sentences the purpose/objectives of the lecture you chose.

Jon Coe’s lecture not only focused on the recent trends in zoo design, but also discussed the
importance of planning the layout of zoos in accordance with nature. He also mentioned the
significance of giving the animals more control over their own life by giving them the choice instead
of us making them do what we want them to do. By doing so, we are giving the animals the freedom
and at the same time also providing the visitors a memorable experience which could be a catalyst
for positive change.

2. Would the ideas presented in the lecture be applicable to the Philippine setting? How? Cite a
possible example.

Yes. The ideas presented by Jon Coe can indeed be applied to the zoos here in the Philippines
as long as we invest more on research as well as on rehabilitation of our zoos. As far as we are
concerned, most of the zoos here in the country keep the animals in cages and enclosures, hence
depriving them of their freedom. This is similar to the case of Mali, dubbed by PETA as one of the
world’s saddest elephants. Mali has spent most of her life behind closed bars with concrete floors
and sand and water as her only encounter with nature. This clearly illustrates how we only see
zoos as entertainment centers rather than educational conservation centers.

Aside from investing on research and rehabilitation, it is also important to involve significant
professionals such as zoologists, botanists, landscape architects, and the like, in order to further
provide quality and improved zoo design that does not merely depend on typical zoo layouts but
is pattered to nature.

3. What lessons about animal and/or environmental health were you able to glean from the lecture?

From Jon Coe’s lecture, I was able to understand the relationship between architecture and zoo
design especially when it comes to space planning. In designing zoos, not only should we consider
providing the visitors a memorable experience but more so, we should highly consider giving the
animals a habitat that could make them feel as if they are living in their natural habitat. By doing
this, we are respecting the rights and freedom of animals. And lastly, one of my key takeaways in
the lecture is going back to nature. As what Jon Coe said, copying only reduces innovation. With
the ongoing issue on zoo design here in the Philippines, it is my responsibility as a future architect
to further think of innovations that could contribute to the betterment of our local zoos, providing
the animals the freedom that they deserve.

Reference:
People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals. (n.d.). Manila Zoo's Mali the Elephant Needs Your
Help. PETA. Retrieved November 19, 2021, from
https://support.peta.org/page/1501/action/1?locale=en-US.
Janika Bautista
3AR6
REFLECTION PAPER #3 : ZOO EXHIBIT DESIGN TRENDS BY JOE COE

Joe Coe's lecture focused on implementable zoological park concepts. We were given instructions
for creating designs that prioritized the comfort and enrichment of the life of the animals, caretakers, and
visitors while simultaneously advocating conservation action. We were also instructed on how to maintain
a positive approach toward change in order to put in place a better system, not just for zoological parks
but for anything related to the environment.

The concepts that have been presented to us can easily

be applied in the Philippines, or in any other country that has
zoos. Most zoos in our country, however, display most of the
animals as if they were caged or gated, as this tiger in Avilon Zoo
in San Isidro, Rizal demonstrates in figure 1. The tiger was not
provided its proper habitat as if it were not imprisoned, contrary
to what was said in the lecture it doesn’t show “Landscape
Immersion” for the tigers’ area. Observing its area it doesn’t look
like there is enough movement space provided for the tiger. As
presented in the lecture animals should be given a proper trail
system as it can be a form of exercise for them but
Figure 1Tiger From Avilon Zoo. San Isidro, Rizal. Retrieved from
also giving visitors an exciting experience seeing the https://www.klook.com/en-PH/activity/22280-avilon-zoo-ticket-manila/

animals rotate the park.

As an architecture student, the presentation was quite useful in terms of planning and structuring
zoo spaces. I appreciated how he discussed culture immersion and how every zoo should maintain a
cultural connection. He also included modernism, which would be novel for a zoo to incorporate. Another
thing I learned was that animals should be respected, especially in their zoo enclosures. We should be
able to let the animals take control of their daily life, which is why it is critical for them to be immersed in
their own habitat, allowing them to exercise their right to comfort. Finally, it is our responsibility to
develop innovatively for the enhancement of these facilities since they are critical to our education.
Regino, John Kyle U. 3AR6
STS Mr. Daniel Albert Castillo

Activity 3:
A Reflection Paper on Zoo Exhibit Design by Jon Coe

1. Summarize in 3 sentences the purpose/objectives of the lecture you chose.

The lecture shed light on how we could make zoo designs more conducive for animals while
providing the ideal experience for visitors and caregivers. It was also highlighted how important it
is to give animals the feeling of having control and choice over their environment so as to give them
complete freedom thus, emulating a realistic wildlife experience for them. By doing so, it promotes
respect for both animals and nature and ultimately, further inspires conservation action.

2. Would the ideas presented in the lecture be applicable to the Philippine setting? How? Cite a
possible example.

A good design is never location-dependent. The lecture

focused on giving importance to animals’ welfare by giving
them freedom, which can easily be applied in the Philippine
setting. In example, I was able to observe in my trip to
Australia Zoo Mr. Jon Coe’s proposed strategy on animal
rotation by making a network of trails. This allowed animals to
be more in control of their surroundings and where they want
to go.

It can also be seen in the picture how much space was allotted
for the giraffes’ movement while people only had a small
pathway where they could observe from afar or interact with
the animals, if possible. According to Fischer and Romero
(2019), one of the many sources of animals’ stress in captivity
is cage restraint thus, giving them the freedom to move would
the most ideal.

3. What lessons about animal and/or environmental health were you able to glean from the lecture?

I believe that it is high time for us to do away with the notion that animals should be restrained
inside cages in zoos, when in fact it should be the other way around—our movement as people
should be what is controlled. In my perspective, majority of our zoos fail to realize that they are
being more people-centric rather than animal-centric and so, to be able to change this, we could
follow the formula presented by Mr. Jon Coe which is to allow animals to choose and have control
over their surroundings in order to achieve freedom. Lastly, we need not to look further in achieving
the ideal zoo design as the best framework is already available to us—nature. As architects and
designers, we should be able to make the animals in zoos feel as though they are living in their
natural habitat.
Nicole Allyson Valencia STS 3AR6

REFLECTION PAPER 2

The sole purpose of the zoo exhibit was not just to give awareness for future
architects but to also give a sense of planning for the landscape and culture for the
modernization of zoo planning. It gives enrichment to the animals, the caregivers,
and the visitors at the same time. Lastly, it gives inspiration to be able to create
innovation architecturally from an animal standpoint.

The ideas presented in the lecture can definitely be applicable seeing that we have a
lot of possible landscape in the ph not only will this help in terms of the environment,
but also create opportunities for possible new landscape like the cherry blossoms.
There are a lot of possibilities to create a space for the animals using cages without
it being seen by the public eye since the materials used in the examples are
materials we already used in the manila zoo since we already use it for the animals.

First, I learned all about different types of landscaping and different exhibit types like
landscape immersion,culture immersion, animal rotation and modernism in animal
exhibits. I learned the awareness or the goal to be able to create a space that
promotes and respects nature and animals while also respecting the people and
surroundings.

Planning spaces in zoos can help promote open green spaces especially in the city
where zoos are usually located. Creating a well planned open space like Hediger’s
concept of territory can provide a comfortable habitat for the animals while providing
a unique experience to each individual. Overall, zoos have a lot of possible
innovations especially with the recent creations like different types of animal trail
systems, hiding bars behind trees, with such works there can be an open possibility
to create a more unique experience for the people and a more comfortable living
area for the animals
overall creating spaces surrounding the zoo creates an experience for the visitors
while also creating an open rotation for the animals while giving the a free setting
and at the same time creating new experiences for the visitor