I’ve always been fascinated by the natural world, and building environments for animals over the years has deepened that fascination in ways I never expected. Understanding how far a particular species can jump, how deep they dig, how they move through space and interact with their surroundings, that knowledge shapes every decision we make when designing a habitat. Getting it wrong isn’t an option when the animals living in it depend on it being right.
The work is also meaningful in ways that go beyond the build itself. I’ve contributed to environments that support breeding programs for species on the brink of extinction, and knowing that the spaces we created played a role in those outcomes is something I don’t take lightly.
From a visitor’s perspective, most people will never see a lion in Africa or watch a sea lion hunt in the wild. What we can do is create an environment so accurate and immersive that the next best thing is standing right in front of them. That’s the standard we build to.
• Sea Lion Sound (Art Director), St. Louis Zoo, St. Louis, Missouri
• Pachyderm Forest Phase III, Los Angeles Zoo, Los Angeles, California
• African Rock Hyrax Exhibit, Brookfield Zoo, Chicago, Illinois
• Spider Monkey Exhibit, Nashville Zoo, Nashville, Tennessee
• Expedition Peru: Trek of the Andean Bear, Nashville Zoo, Nashville, Tennessee
• Grizzly Bear Exhibit, Tulsa Zoo, Tulsa, Oklahoma
• Grizzly Bear Exhibit, John Ball Zoo, Grand Rapids, Michigan
• Turtle Reef, SeaWorld, San Diego, California
• Dolphin Point and Dolphin Lagoon, SeaWorld, San Antonio, Texas
• Steelhead Salmon Exhibit, Long Beach Aquarium of the Pacific, Long Beach, California
• Sun Bear Exhibit, San Diego, California
• Living Desert, Palm Desert, California
• Chapultepec Zoo, Mexico City, Mexico
• Negev Zoo Savannah Oasis Valley and the Arabah, Be’er Sheba, Israel
