Ep61 Becca Hanson on landscape architecture, Conservation by Design and sustainability in animal enclosure structure

Becca Hanson is a Founding Principal of Studio Hanson | Roberts. She is a landscape architect with over 44 years of experience.

Becca shares with us how her love of nature started in Cincinnati, Ohio, during her childhood in the woodland behind her home. Here she could interact with nature first-hand by climbing trees, handling animals etc.

Becca started her university career intending to be an architect. However, she realised it was not for her, so took a nine-year sabbatical where she had a child and lived in Europe. During a trip to the Royal Horticultural Society Gardens in Wisley in the UK, she saw the rockery. This inspired Becca to finish her degree to construct similar works. Becca then enrolled in the University of Washington to get a BLA in Landscape Architecture and a minor in plant community ecology.

From here Becca got a job with Jones & Jones, who were working to design landscapes for the Woodland Park Zoo, Seattle. The more she worked with zoos, the more she fell in love with the zoo environment and the people within them as they all want to make the world a better place. She also discovered how she loved designing with the web of life in mind; incorporating both the needs of animals, plants and people to ensure everyone’s lives are rich and fulfilling. Becca and Sabrina then discuss how the 24/7 approach is critical in enclosure design as animals could inhabit it for the rest of their lives. Becca then highlights how much expertise is required to ensure everybody’s needs are met within the environment as well as reverberate the message of conservation to leave an impact on visitors.

Becca explains how she and her husband David Roberts set up SH | R in 2003, to devote their professional lives to zoos and aquariums. She explained how SH | R gained traction quickly, becoming international. Becca shared her adoration of learning from different people during her travels, which could be utilised in future designs. Becca goes on to explain the impact of COVID-19 on the studios, and how all projects had to continue online using services such as Zoom. 

Becca then provides examples of ‘conservation by design’. She references how Houston Zoo aims to convert basic enclosures to ones focused on welfare and demonstrates the conservation themes of the zoo. Becca mentions the under-construction Galapagos exhibit which aims to highlight to visitors the Galapagos landscapes and unique animals and what can be done to conserve them. Becca further highlights that sustainability is key in conservation by design, by which resources and techniques utilised must reduce the overall footprint. She references as an example, the water in the Hippopotamus exhibit at Werribee Open Range Zoo, Melbourne. Incorporated within the enclosure is one hectare of wetlands which acts as a biofilter. Cleaning the water. Simultaneously, increasing biodiversity through attracting birds, insects, crustaceans etc. She also references how enclosures must be designed to last.

“Designing an enclosure for the flexibility to be able to change things, about keeping staff involved in the lives of animals, and making it a rich and fulfilling life for everyone. So that everybody looks forward to a new day dawning."

Becca then explains her passions lie in how children engage with the zoo environment, with the aim to induce empathy with them and their families as well as encouraging natural play. She states the zoo is more likely to make an impact if they can physically interact rather than just observe. She mentions her love of the Science North, Northern Ontario, Nature Exchange, whereby children exchange items from nature along with knowledge for other natural items. 

Becca and Sabrina then discuss the importance of team diversity and budgeting when it comes to landscape design to ensure all plans come to fruition.

Becca then explains the criteria needed to become a Fellow of the American Society of Landscape Architects. 

Becca concludes by telling us how a Javan Rice Finch named Fred, who once lived in a cage in a children’s museum, became a big part of office life. 

Learn more about the Studio Hanson | Roberts HERE

Learn more about Becca Hanon HERE

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