Polar Bear Habitat
Dalian Zoo, China
Outdoor Habitat
11.555m2
Building Facility
3.210m2
The Design Response
The layout was rebuilt from the ground up using healthy architecture and a neuroarchitectural lens. Flexible zoning allows separation, connection, and rotation. A maternity area supports females and cubs. Animals move freely between indoor and outdoor zones day and night.
The Outcome
Keepers gained flexibility. Visitors follow a clear, calm route with defined viewing moments. The animals gained something more fundamental — a space designed around how they actually live.
The Animal Brief
Polar bears need habitat complexity, choice, and the freedom to move between environments on their own terms. A habitat that restricts this doesn’t just limit agency — it works against the animal’s health.
The Challenge
The client arrived with an existing design that wouldn’t have worked. The layout was misaligned with polar bear behaviour, restricted keeper management, and gave visitors no real connection to the animals. A full redesign was needed — within the fixed plot and retaining the central building the client required.
