Getting up close and personal with Australia’s unique native animals is now as easy as stepping outside your hotel room door, thanks to the completion of a Wildlife Retreat at Sydney’s Taronga Zoo.

The Retreat is part of an overnight experience being offered by Taronga Zoo, where guests can stay in accommodation surrounded by an exhibit inhabited by native wildlife including platypus, wallabies, koalas, gliders, wombats, bandicoots, cockatoos and corroboree frogs. The complex comprises five accommodation pods providing 62 rooms, a standalone guest lodge and kitchen and dining facilities linked to the existing conference centre.

Nestled in the heart of the Australian Habitat exhibit, the accommodation allows guests the chance to enjoy an immersive zoo experience, with windows and balconies which look out across the habitat, access to a walk-through aviary, sanctuary exhibit and raised walkways across the native landscape. It also includes tours and talks aimed at building awareness of the threats to native species and highlights the importance of the Zoo’s conservation programs.

Designed with sustainability and a targeted 5-star green star rating in mind, the building has drawn on Alspec products which feature high performance credentials for the floor-to-ceiling glazing and sliding doors. On the façades, Hunter Evo 150mm Double Glazed Flush Framing was used to construct the interfaces between guests and the habitat. The Hunter framing can accommodate up to 40mm double glazed and is well suited to gently curved and faceted façades, such as featured in the dining and kitchen extension.

For those rooms which offer balconies, ProGlide High Performance Sliding Doors were selected. Also double glazed, they easily meet the thermal and acoustic needs of the building, along with providing excellent weather performance. The Zeus matt black finish of both the framing and doors was selected to complement the wood-accents of the buildings and the surrounding native flora.

Further contributing to the building’s energy performance was the inclusion of Breezway louvres, which work to maximise natural cooling and ventilation, with specially designed seals to ensure protection from the elements, along with being energy efficient.

With the opening of the accommodation, the zoo’s many visitors will no doubt snap up the opportunity to enjoy the experience of having some of Australia’s unique wildlife literally on their doorstep.

Architect: COX Architecture
Builder: Taylor Construction
Fabricator: Hi-Tec Windows
Finish: Dulux Zeus Black Matt

Alspec Products Used:
ProGlide® High Performance Sliding Door
Hunter Evo 150mm Double Flush Glazed Framing
Dualair®