July 7, 2022

This paid piece is sponsored by TSP.

A remodeled black bear exhibit at the Great Plains Zoo & Delbridge Museum of Natural History was designed with multiple stakeholders in mind: the black bears, staff members, and guests.

For the three black bears, an updated HVAC system will increase comfort in behind-the-scenes holding areas, and the newly designed interior space includes larger dens and updated caging to improve safety.

The exhibit was also specially designed so the bears can better participate in their own health care and training.

“The renovation also helps us provide a better home for our older male bear, Charles, who needs special accommodations for his geriatric condition,” said Becky Dewitz, CEO of the Great Plains Zoo. “Additionally, we incorporated a scale area to weigh the bears and blood sleeve where we can train the bears for voluntary blood draws as part of their preventative health plan.”

Zoo visitors, meanwhile, will get a better viewing experience of the bears.

“Our previous exhibit was like a canyon that people looked down into to see the bears,” said Denise DePaolo, director of public relations and engagement. “This exhibit is going to be looking directly out at the bears with glass viewing and just a better experience where people will feel more connected and get better looks at these incredible animals.”

The project is a great example of how small interventions can have a big impact, said TSP principal and senior architect Michelle Klobassa, who served as project manager for the design of the remodeled black bear exhibit.

The initial concept was to give the remodeled black bear exhibit a north woods theme, Klobassa said.

“We designed a heavy timber viewing structure, which allows large glass viewing windows, so you don’t have to look through fencing to see the bears,” Klobassa said. “It also provides shade and cover so people can spend a little more time at the exhibit no matter the weather conditions.”

Simple wood log siding and new landscaping adds to the character of the exhibit. In addition, an expanded bear climbing structure will give the bears more shade and better access to the upper level via a ramp, especially for Charles – the older bear.

“The exterior of the building received a beautiful mural of a forested scene by local artist Zach DeBoer, which adds a lot of visual depth to the exhibit,” Klobassa said. “Inside the building, we completely changed the layout of the bear dens to improve safety and functionality of the space along with adding air conditioning to improve comfort.”

The way the team approached challenges such as unpredictable weather or supply chain issues was among Klobassa’s favorite part of the project.

“The team at the zoo is a very positive group to work with and were involved every step of the way,” Klobassa said. “Our group of design professionals, along with Journey Group as the contractor, all worked well as a team to get to the finish line.”

“It has been great to work with TSP, specifically Michelle Klobassa and the team of engineers,” Dewitz added. “TSP offers a wide array of services for architecture and engineering, which is beneficial to produce a well-designed product that will last for many years.”

TSP’s history of collaboration with the Great Plains Zoo dates to the early 1960s, when a long-range plan was completed before the zoo opened in June 1963. Since then, the firm has continued to partner with the zoo for various attractions, including the Delbridge Museum, the Asian cat exhibit, penguin habitat, giraffe habitat, and animal nursery. Some of these designs involved only TSP. Other projects, like the Fortress of the Bears exhibit, were completed in conjunction with partner organization CLR Design.

TSP is currently engaged in a sub-consultant partnership with Ackerman-Estvold Engineers and will provide architecture and engineering services for upcoming lion and giraffe exhibits at the Great Plains Zoo. Discussions are also taking place about future improvements for the Hy-Vee Face-to-Face farm.

Klobassa appreciates that the Great Plains Zoo is committed to improving its campus to offer more attractions for visitors. As a parent, she enjoys the unique opportunity to have the zoo nearby, where she can show her children projects she has been involved with.

“It’s exciting to be part of something that has such a big impact on the city of Sioux Falls, it is a destination for so many visitors and is a fabulous amenity for locals,” she said. “Our TSP team is looking forward to involvement in future projects like the farm area renovations and the lion exhibit to continue building on the legacy of work TSP has done at the zoo.”