Environmental Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
The plan was revolutionary. Instead of following the Modernist model of
most mid-twentieth-century zoos, with tile-lined animal cages or concrete
grottos arranged taxonomically or by continent, Coe and Jones organized
the animal exhibits by biomes and emphasized naturalism and visual
authenticity in re-creating characteristic landscapes for each species. They
coined the term “landscape immersion” to describe this approach, which
immersed both visitors and animals in natural settings, separated only by
moats or other hidden barriers. It was not homocentric, but biocentric:
humans, rather than controlling and dominating the space, were just one
element of the landscape. By putting animals back in their natural settings,
the designers also enhanced the possibility of meeting the animals' real
needs.
Not until construction was underway was the Woodland Park Zoo's
long-range plan completed. Coe was the principal writer and designer, but
it was truly a team effort. The long-range plan, published in 1976, soon
became the bible for zoo design, used all over the world. It describes all of
the Earth's biomes (such as steppe, chaparral, and rain forest), explains rela-
tionships of climate zones, and provides a model for conceptualizing zoo
exhibits, taking into account everything from vegetation and soil to animal
service areas and viewing. The topic—which had been out of print, but
never out of demand—is being updated by Coe's present firm, CLRdesign,
for re-publication.
The Woodland Park Zoo, which has won four major awards in its field,
established Coe and Jones and their associates as zoo designers. Landscape
immersion quickly took hold, and they worked on projects for zoos all over
the country. Another talented architect and landscape architect, Gary Lee,
joined Jones & Jones and worked closely with Coe on a number of those
projects.
Coe was enjoying life in the Seattle area. He and Susan had a daughter,
Alyssa, born in 1973.They lived on a farm on Bainbridge Island.After milk-
ing his goats in the mornings, Coe commuted to work by kayak and ferry.
But as he traveled with increasing frequency, around the United States and
internationally, he began to feel that he could live anywhere. “Home” was
wherever he was immersed in a culture or a project, wherever he was at that
moment. He was ready for a change.
Taking a leave of absence from Jones & Jones in 1983, Coe accepted a
position as adjunct associate professor of landscape architecture at the Uni-
versity of Pennsylvania and moved with his family to the Philadelphia area.
