Jabari’s Legacy – Nurturing Life from a Different Perspective with Creative and Unique Designs the Associated Press stated, “Some zoo goers hid inside a restaurant and the monorail surrounding the Wilds of Africa exhibit. The gorilla darted in and out of thick bamboo and trees before officers spotted him on a nature trail. Zoo officials were unsure how the gorilla, named Jabari got loose. He had been in the award-winning gorilla conservation area, surrounded by a 16-foot concave wall, before the attack. The 144-year-old zoo had experienced financial straits and the non-profit Zoological Society had proposed a county takeover. Zoo staff had been cut and maintenance postponed for lack of funds.”
This “exceptional” project was gloomy, sad, worthwhile, gratifying and scholastic for our firm. JMA’s role while executing a maintenance design contract for the Dallas Park and Recreation Department was to head an extensive survey and record documentation of the existing gorilla habitat in hopes to identify where the breach occurred. JMA’s evaluation revealed that there were inconsistencies in the barrier wall heights. Specific measurements indicated that there were low points of twelve (12) feet.
A million-dollar donation from the Jake Hammon Foundation allowed JMA to undertake designing a new public feature called the “viewing bunker” non-traditionally designed and known as a “Flintstone Rock and Bolder” which offered an exceptional natural design aesthetic for zoo patrons and the animals. The creative feature of the project was the humanistic considerations JMA took while designing the habitat. As an Architect with previous jail design experience, Mr. Johnson used numerous similar preventive measures, but uniquely kept in mind that the gorillas had an animal culture that was both territorial and educational. The JMA team studied the animal culture, the culture of the habitat, and the culture of the animal’s feelings and emotions.
One of the unique considerations for the animals was the quarantine measures that held the other gorillas until the habitat was complete. As a servant leader, Mr. Johnson knew that the assignment provided him and his team a profound respect for intelligent animal life, a time to observe while learning, an opportunity to be creative while challenged, and an opportunity to nurture life from a different perspective, preventing any other situations to occur in the future. This project served a different kind of under-served population.
EXPERIENCED PROFESSIONAL, PUBLIC AND CIVIC SERVICE
Public education and civic revitalization projects best identify Mr. Johnson’s skills carrying out architectural advancements. Working primarily with North Texas area school districts, the Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport and the City of Dallas, he has developed an inclusive methodology of merging design and technology with new building systems to address public agencies many with fiscal constraints. He is a trusted design professional who has continually been given the opportunity to carry out some of the most challenging design assignments while gripping each task with tenacity, ease and harmonic humor. Several of the projects trusted to JMA Johnson, LLC have been news and media worthy. He handled the confidentiality of the projects and the owner(s) exquisitely. The following example display his ability to exhibit creativity, cultural and animal sensitivity, and trailblazer leadership.
CITY OF DALLAS PARK AND RECREATION
GORILLA HABITAT RESEARCH STATION AND TRAILS
Rescue with Animal Sensitivity
Answering Emergency Calls for Service on Time and Within Budget
When a containment breach at the local city zoo caused a Gorilla to escape, Mr. Johnson worked promptly with the City of Dallas administration and the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) to advance new exhibit safety regulations nationally for primates. The results were his collaborative design of a new public viewing bunker, renovations of the existing exhibits and a new design for a research facility that complied with new regulatory standards. Mr. Johnson’s previous experience and knowledge of working with the Department of Criminal Justice with Polk County and Rusk County Jails and the City of Dallas Youth Detention Center gave him the experience to assist the City of Dallas in a crisis situation.
GORILLA HABITAT-Rescue with Animal Sensitivity
COMPLETION DATE
May 2006
FINAL CONSTRUCTION
$1,900.00
PROJECT DESIGNER
Raj Senthikumar
PROJECT ARCHITECT
Michael L. Johnson, AIA, NCARB, NOMA
DESCRIPTION
JMA provided full Architectural Renovation/Addition to improve keeper safety and animal control and services for modifications to the Gorilla Habitat to improve and enhance the visitor’s experience. Enhancements included raising the Habitat walls, enlarging the Gorilla Research Station while redesigning, focusing on an increased overall viewing of both the North and South Habitats. JMA also implemented a redesigning of the nature trail to include increased visitor viewing of the Habitat along the trail, with a new viewing bunker to create a unique visitor experience with close-up animal interaction featuring an enrichment window.
SOLUTION
Alterations to the Keeper/Staff door, added a keeper gate with mesh to the ceiling, added new vestibule gates, new main (dividing) hydraulically controlled gate at the main service alley, a control gate to the keeper ally access side of the community rooms, custom heavy-duty gravity latches to all hinged gates, and added bedrooms.
JMA provided full Architectural Renovation/Addition to improve keeper safety and animal control and services for modifications to the Gorilla Habitat to improve and enhance the visitor’s experience. Enhancements included raising the Habitat walls, enlarging the Gorilla Research Station while redesigning, focusing on an increased overall viewing of both the North and South Habitats. JMA also implemented a redesigning of the nature trail to include increased visitor viewing of the Habitat along the trail, with a new viewing bunker to create a unique visitor experience with close-up animal interaction featuring an enrichment window.