A large walk-through aviary structure was needed for the popular visitor attraction, Birdworld in Farnham, Surrey. This project was to be designed as a seashore zoo enclosure to house nesting Hammerkop, waders and other coastal birds that are part of the international breeding program, helping to ensure the survival of their species.
We decided to use tough 25x25mm knotted fire-rated polyethelene as it is a visually unobtrusive material, almost creating an invisible effect. A primary design feature for this aviary is that the netting is designed to be easily raised and lowered from within the enclosure by a system of ropes and pulleys. This provides incredibly easy access to the netting for maintenance and repair without the inconvenience of using access machinery, ensuring time and cost savings for the entire future of the structure.
Another key consideration in designing and installing this aviary was for it to have as low an environmental impact as possible, in both it’s material specification and construction techniques. Therefore, fully engineered timber posts were selected to support the netting and installation techniques were used that required no concrete for the foundations, making huge environmental savings.
With the help of their new visually appealing and environmentally friendly enclosure, the coastal birds live on!
in Bristol
