Zoo Atlanta’s Grand New View includes the 4.6-acre African Savanna, which consists of new and expanded habitats for African elephants, giraffes, zebras, ostriches, warthogs, and meerkats; and the Zambezi Elephant Center: a three-story, state-of-the-art, indoor component of the elephant habitat that opened in summer 2019. Epsten Group was the zoo design firm chosen, in collaboration with the construction team at Winter Johnson Group, to provide the elephants with a new home focused on optimal animal welfare while also providing a healthy environment for Elephant Care Team members and visitors.
African Savanna Scope of Services
- Three-acre African Savanna expansion that more than triples the size of the Zoo’s former elephant habitat
- Designed with animal wellness in mind, the living space features two waterfalls and a pond with 360-degree access
Zambezi Elephant Center Scope of Services
- Stalls and care team support spaces for up to seven elephants, including provisions for male elephants
- Life-support system equipment for the habitat’s water features and care team administrative offices with a keeper overlook inside the facility
- Full building sprinkler coverage, MEP systems include the filtration equipment for the multiple water features in the elephant habitats, and fire protection system covers the chemical storage and use rooms for the filtration equipment
- Designed to comply with the 2013 edition of NFPA 150 (Standard on Fire and Life Safety in Animal Housing Facilities)
Photography by Jason Buch.
