Living Landscape Park
Zanzibar
Total area
195ha
The Design Response
The plan is organised around a central plaza — the economic and social heart of the park — with zoning radiating outward across the site. Wildlife park areas, a children’s petting zoo, a safari zone, a conservation area for endemic monkeys, reforestation zones, visitor lodges, and technical infrastructure are each positioned to follow the natural logic of the terrain.
A lion drive-through and integrated safari route connect the visitor journey across the landscape. Sensory gardens deepen visitor engagement through multi-sensory interaction. Visitor feeding experience areas, staff flow, entrances, exits, and internal road systems are fully integrated into the circulation plan. Land has been reserved for future expansion.
The architectural language draws from Zanzibar heritage and safari typology — rooted in place, not imposed on it. The project was developed in collaboration with zoological consultants, surveyors, and local specialist teams.
The Animal Brief
The park was designed as a hybrid living landscape — combining a wildlife park, safari experience, conservation zones, and reforestation areas within 195 hectares of mixed terrain and dense natural vegetation. The brief required habitats for carnivores, hoofed animals, and endemic monkey species, alongside a lion drive-through and integrated safari route. The design had to work with the land’s existing ecology, not against it.
The Challenge
Designing within dense natural vegetation meant mapping underlying topography carefully and preserving existing road networks and mature tree clusters. The challenge was balancing ecological sensitivity with navigability, visitor accessibility, and long-term commercial viability — while adapting species habitats to natural terrain conditions and minimising land disturbance and structural footprint throughout.
The Outcome
A master plan that brings together wildlife, conservation, tourism, and ecological regeneration into one coherent landscape. Every zone serves a purpose — for the animals, the land, the local community, and the visitor.
