Santa Barbara, CA
Architect: Blackbird Architects, Inc.
Our work takes its cue from the name—‘Zoological Gardens’. The educational mission of this destination is enhanced by appropriate plantings.
Inside the “Wings of Asia” aviary, we created a white flowering garden (of all Asian plants) that lets the beautifully colored plumes of the birds be the true standouts.
The plantings and water features allow visitors to view the birds from various perspectives-in tree-tops, perching on bushes, swimming in the pond, and preening alongside waterfalls. For the Cats of Africa, we used sweeps of grasses to create an African veldt.
Similar approaches were employed for the Elephant Walk and pool (Asian plants) and other environments that are undergoing development including Condor Country (California native plants).
Our design for a bioswale/wetland that surrounds the entire Zoological Garden protects the water quality in the adjacent bird refuge, while increasing habitat with locally native plants.
This has been a tremendous opportunity to work with plants from every part of the globe and create inviting environments for animals in collaboration with the animal keepers.
