Celebrating Wild Life
Celebrating Wild Life
ZOO & AQUARIUM PLANNING & DESIGN
We design spaces that connect people, plants, and animals around the world to inspire conservation.
EXCITEMENT • EXCELLENCE • IMPACT
Our world is full of wild and remarkable forms of life intermingling in intricate systems that we, as a single species among them, are only beginning to understand. As designers and planners, our joy lies in engaging people with elements of this living world and fostering a thriving coexistence with wildness – in our midst and in our world.
We strive to imbue others with the passion, compassion and insatiable curiosity that drives us to create memorable destinations that one experiences with the senses and feels with the heart – and hearts, once changed, forever alter the future.
Seasoned Experts, Intrepid Explorers
Seasoned Experts, Intrepid Explorers
Changing the Paradigm
SH|R Studios is a planning and design firm specializing in zoos and aquariums. While our offices are based in the US on Bainbridge Island, Washington, our work extends around the globe. We are dedicated to creating mission-driven experiences that bring people together with the dynamic, living world of plants and animals. Equally important, our passion lies in a respectful collaboration with unique clients where innovative solutions can be derived through inspired teamwork, dedication to animal welfare, and technical excellence.
Over 30 years of experience enables us to lead and participate on teams, or to simply provide expert advice as necessary. Our clients span a vast range in climate and culture, yet each shares a common interest: creatively representing and interpreting the rich tapestry of the world’s flora and fauna, conserving this diversity in the wild, and enriching the lives of animals, plants, staff and visitors in their care. We build on this shared purpose in coalescing strong teams and forging lasting relationships with clients, consultants and specialized collaborators.
Together, we promote and participate in conservation by design.
SH|R Studios engages in, and actively facilitates a creative partnership with our clients. With each project, we bring a unique set of ideas to the table that reflect each facility’s temperament and vision. Across the globe, we create personal connections with our clients and their staff to achieve solutions that they are invested in.
Earth's natural systems provide us with models and inspiration for sustainable design. We harness both technology and ecology to develop unique and reachable solutions that sustain our relationship with Nature. We believe that budget is not an obstacle to sustainable practices – only lack of knowledge, imagination and desire.
As a firm, not only are we vigilant about the needs of our clients and the positive welfare of their animals, but we are attentive to the landscape and community in which each project lives. We question, communicate and strive to create authentic experiences that highlight the interdependence of human culture with the natural world.
Yes, we believe that “happiness” is a state to be aspired to, ranging from contentment to intense joy as expressed by playful interaction – both for people and animals. Nothing makes us feel more fulfilled than to work hard to incorporate play and enrichment into our work, and to see it well-used.
The application of Maslow’s “Hierarchy of Needs” and ‘The Five Freedoms” bear equal weight in our office.
Conservation starts with a connection
Conservation starts with a connection