Architects aren’t monkeying around at this chimpanzee sanctuary

Following the passing of the 2000 Chimpanzee Health Improvement, Maintenance, and Protection (CHIMP) Act, which ended the practice of using chimps as laboratory test animals in the U.S., Chimp Haven founder and primatologist Linda Brent approached Cordes with a new idea: designing a sanctuary for these newly retired chimps to live out the remaining years of their lives in enjoyment. On average, chimps live to be roughly 30-40 years old in the wild and up to 60 or older at a sanctuary like Chimp Haven.

Chimp Haven began as a simple plot of forest, large enough to reintegrate the retired chimpanzees into a lush natural environment that is as close to what they would experience in the wild as possible. Chimps are naturally social creatures that live, play, and work in multi-generational communities of 15-20 animals, so the area for roaming was carefully orchestrated to facilitate and accommodate these activities. During this first phase, the design team created gentle borders, surrounding the site with a deep, undulating moat, and dividing the site into three multi-acre plots with a timber barrier. Both elements were meticulously designed to blend in with the existing environment.

“The chimps seamlessly flowed back into their family units when given enough space to explore, and enough natural resources to put to use,” says Leatherwood. “Yet the proximity of the animals to veterinarians and care professionals allowed Chimp Haven to monitor the chimps’ health and progress, and easily offer them any necessary support.”

In phases 2 and 3, completed between 2006 and 2016, the design team created four additional plans for forested areas, and built several specialized open-air corrals for chimps needing more personal attention and observation. These corrals, resembling massive open-air forested play yards, are specially crafted for elderly and less active chimpanzees. In fact, the team even designed bespoke equipment that chimps with physical ailments can use to stay active and healthy, such as shallower steps, ramps in lieu of stairs, and ladders to connect climbing structures and platforms.

A key component to chimp longevity and healing is exercise and socialization through play, so special emphasis was placed on dynamic climbing structures within all the enclosures. Since Louisiana is not home to the chimp’s native trees and vines, jungle gyms are an important surrogate. The challenge, though, was that the play structures had to be accessible yet tough enough to match the intelligence and physical strength of chimpanzees. Indeed, human specifications no longer apply here: Everything had to be reimagined for a heavier, stronger user—one that’s used to physically overcoming obstacles that humans would ordinarily find unbreachable. When testing a 10-foot wall, for example, the design team watched in astonishment as chimps scaled it with ease, using the subtlest textures on the wall’s surface as handholds. After that, only the smoothest surfaces were considered.

Cordes and Leatherwood played a key role in creating an open-air visitors’ pavilion, a design-build project that serves as the centerpiece for the sanctuary’s visitors. The architects stayed several nights at the sanctuary, building the structure by hand. It bears resemblance to the green foliage around it, serving as a safe, secluded viewing platform for researchers, students, and other guests. Visitors can observe the chimps roaming and playing in two forested habitats from the safety of visitors’ pavilions. Designed with timber and glass, these observation decks blend into the forest to avoid disrupting the lives of the animals.

“For the first time, we felt collectively confident in our ability to open this world up to those who share our passion, without disrupting the peaceful environment that Chimp Haven is committed to providing for the chimps,” says Leatherwood. “It’s so rewarding to see the responses from the visitors, from ages five to 50.”