UNBUILT / HONOR 

Entry Name: Camel Habitat, Lincoln
Firm: FOUNDarchitects
Owner: Lincoln Children’s Zoo
Photographer: ARCHspace

Many Zoos put animals on one side and humans on the other. Humans arrive, expect “connection,” and move on to the next thing. This project challenges that notion. A small children’s Zoo desired a new sign and a habitat for two Dromedary Camels for visitors to interact and feed them. The site was restricted and the path of movement was already established. We challenged the human/camel relationship and blurred the line between the two species.

The simple design intent was to use the existing topography and then thicken the path. We challenged the one portion of the site that was fixed by the client. The result is a new path with multiple options that bends around the actual animal enclosure and fosters a greater connection between the two species. Additionally, parents and children have a richer dialog across a new spatial environment while physically impaired visitors have unobstructed access to the habitat.

Jury Comments: Design constraints are more often than not the catalysts for incredibly special design ideas. Even though this project is small in size the idea has big implications. It is a place where anyone’s child could be entertained for hours on end.