Bristol Zoo, The Terrace Theatre

After the success of Quattro’s ground-breaking Sustainable Design for Bristol Zoo’s Conservation Education Centre, Quattro’s Leisure Architects were appointed to design the Terrace Theatre.

The Terrace needed to provide a unique backdrop and interactive space for Bristol Zoo to exhibit and present animals.

The building also had to be highly sustainable and low maintenance for the zoo throughout its lifecycle.

The Terrace Theatre was designed through a series of collaborative workshops with consultants, contractor and zoo staff all contributing to the final, inspired design.

Quattro’s approach to Sustainable Design was to undertake the basics correctly, ensuring a thorough understanding of how the buildings were going to be used.

This resulted in incorporating high levels of insulation, natural ventilation and thermal mass, whilst maximising daylight and considerably reducing running and maintenance costs through limited service provision and ensuring simplicity in operation.

The use of a timber frame structure and natural stonework provided strategic thermal mass for an ‘animal room’, whilst minimising the overall environmental impact of the building. In addition, further sustainable materials incorporated in the design included the green sedum roof – an effective sustainable and low maintenance solution for the Zoo.