Barcelona is currently participating in the European Eight Captive Program (EEP) and has successfully bred five Bornean Orangutans. To be able to keep and breed animals in captivity, zoos must meet a variety of international requirements. To ensure these are met and to improve the enclosure for the orangutans, Barcelona zoo worked with Catalan architectural firm FORGAS.
Enclosures must replicate the conditions of the animal’s natural habitat, in this case the hot and humid conditions of the Bornean jungle. Wood has previously been used for their enclosure but has not lasted due to cracking and warping. For this renovation, Accoya wood was selected due to its excellent durability, supported by Accoya’s strong environmental credentials.
For the exterior of the enclosure and for the viewing platform, 15m3 of Accoya wood was used in 140 × 20mm sections of several lengths. Supplied by Spanish wood distributor, Elaborados y Fabricados Gámiz the entire enclosure is 2,300m2 which is 20 times larger than their previous habitat.
“Barcelona enjoys some of the strongest sunshine in Europe. With such warmth and direct sunlight, it is important that the products used to dress the new zoo enclosure are designed to last and maintain their aesthetic appeal. The intrinsic qualities of the wood will also minimise maintenance, the cladding will last for years without the need for a finish or a continuous maintenance, thus limiting inconvenience for visitors and orangutans for decades to come. “
Applications used in this project:
Cladding
