Edmonton Valley Zoo Children’s Precinct — The Above Zone

This project was selected as a winner in the 67th Annual Progressive Architecture Awards, and was featured in the March 2020 issue of ARCHITECT.

Honorable Mention

“It’s a somewhat radical and progressive idea to design for the harmony and wellness of other beings, and it’s an inspiring direction for our profession and the natural environment.” —juror Christiana Moss, FAIA

The Above Zone is part of a master plan that reimagines the children’s precinct of the Edmonton Valley Zoo. Designed by The Marc Boutin Architectural Collaborative (MBAC), based in Calgary, the $5 million structure is the first of four phases—dubbed Under, Between, On, and Above—which describe both the various ways different species engage with the landscape and how visitors, especially children, will encounter them.

MBAC engages existing topography to create immersive spatial experiences through the air and sky to bring visitors in close contact with the animals on display by taking advantage of exterior spaces within a stand of existing pine, spruce, and Mantoba elm trees that have been part of the zoo for decades. A poetic architectural promenade climbs through the air to bring visitors in close proximity to the animals; the boardwalk-like structure loops around two open-air aviaries—inhabited by gibbons, tamarins, giant anteaters, and a variety of birds—that showcase the biodiversity of the Above realm. Open bar grating on the surface of the boardwalk filters light through the walkway to the ground below, dematerializing its surface and providing an ethereal experience that makes the visitor feel like they are climbing through the sky. The promenade connects to the main level of the Above Zone’s modest 303-square-meter (3,260-square-foot) building, which has faceted wood walls that sit on a base of board-formed concrete.

Inside, a central stair is flanked by a day room at each end of the building—one for gibbons and one for tamarins. That stair leads to a rooftop space with a net climbing structure that allows children to play at the same level as the birds in the adjacent aviary—giving them a deeper connection to the species that they are observing.

The Above Zone promises a compelling journey from ground to sky—through a child’s eyes—in order to not simply observe animals, but better meet them in their own environments.

Project Credits
Project: Edmonton Valley Zoo Children’s Precinct – The Above Zone, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
Client: The City of Edmonton
Architect/Interior Designer: The Marc Boutin Architectural Collaborative (MBAC), Calgary, Alberta, Canada . Marc Boutin (principal); Tony Leong (associate); Richard Cotter, Nathaniel Wagenaar (architects); Fatima Rehman, Trevor Steckly (intern architect)
Structural Engineer: Read Jones Christoffersen
MEP/Civil Engineer/Lighting Designer: Williams Engineering Canada
Geotechnical Engineer: CT & Associates Engineering
Landscape Architect: Earthscape
Exhibit Designer: LEAP Designworks
Size: 3,260 square feet
Cost: Withheld