Bristol Zoo Gardens’ new gorilla house, featuring an overhead glass panel that allows visitors to see the 32-stone animals walking above their heads, has won a regional award for its inspirational and innovative design.
The £1.4m refurbishment of the existing Grade II listed building has transformed and extended the enclosure for the zoo’s family of seven Western Lowland gorillas.
It is more than double the size of the old enclosure and its atrium-style glass entrance with overhead glass panel is the first design of its kind in the world. 
It won the Royal Institute for Chartered Surveyors’ (RICS) South West Design through Innovation Award 2014.
The awards showcase the most inspirational regional initiatives and developments in land, property, construction and the environment.
The judges take into account the impact the building has had on the community, how the end user feels about the scheme and what really makes it stand out from the rest.
The gorilla house has also been shortlisted for the national RICS awards grand final later in the year.
Bristol Zoo director of estates Tim Wilson, who oversaw the gorilla house build, said: “We are thrilled to have won this award, particularly as the standard of entries was very high.
“An awful lot of time and effort when into the design and construction of the new gorilla house and it took over a year to complete as we had to build it around the gorillas while they were still living in the enclosure – as well as making it as stress-free as possible for them.
“We are delighted with the final result which is a real feat of design and engineering. It’s wonderful to see our youngest gorilla – two-year-old Kukena – performing roly-polys on the glass and watching the visitors’ reactions when they go inside the house for the first time.”
The atrium was built using sheets of 5cm-thick, toughened glass which has a lower iron content than normal glass to maximise the amount of light coming through and to reduce reflections. It is able to withstand the force of a small car travelling at 30mph – the equivalent of the whole family of gorillas charging at it at once.
The new house also includes an oak tree climbing frame, donated by Westonbirt Arboretum, ropes and play equipment and an indoor pool as well as additional ‘dens’ for the gorillas and weighing scales built into the floor. A new food preparation area and additional space for staff allows for much greater flexibility for keepers and veterinary team in their day-to-day management and care of the group.
RICS is the world’s leading professional body for qualifications and standards in land, property and construction.
