Advanced building technology as the invisible engine of WILDLANDS Adventure Zoo Emmen
By: Hans Risseeuw
WILDLANDS Adventure Zoo Emmen is a unique park where visitors embark on a world tour through various climate zones, from tropical rainforest to savannah and polar region. Behind this impressive experience lies a highly complex technical system. BUILDING technology played a key role in realizing this “invisible” technology and was responsible for the park’s entire measurement and control engineering core.[1]
In the Dutch climate, high-quality building technology is essential to allow subtropical animals and exotic plants to live under the right conditions. Within WILDLANDS, temperature, relative humidity, air quality, and lighting must be regulated with extreme precision. Deviations can directly lead to stress in animals or damage to flora. To this end, BUILDING technology designed and implemented an integrated building management system (BMS) that centrally monitors and controls all these processes.
Full responsibility: from engineering to delivery
BUILDING technology took on the entire measurement and control process for both the mechanical and electrical installations. This encompassed the complete trajectory: from engineering and software development to installation, commissioning, and extensive functional testing. Prior to the park's opening, dynamic tests were conducted in the presence of tree experts and animal caretakers, among others, to ensure that all habitats were functioning optimally before the animals moved in.
Smart lighting and day-night experience
A unique aspect of the project is the lighting. All light fixtures in the park are connected to a data-driven control system. This allows for the unobtrusive creation of lighting scenarios that mimic the natural day-night rhythm. For instance, animals such as giraffes “wake up” at a simulated sunrise, contributing to natural behavior and well-being. Paths can also be temporarily illuminated in specific colors, for example as route guidance during events, without disturbing the visitor experience or the animals.
Central management over long distances
WILDLANDS covers a large site with significant distances between buildings and installations. Without a central BMS, it would be virtually impossible to maintain an overview of all technical processes. Thanks to the system from BUILDING technology, managers can monitor and adjust installations from a single central location. This not only enables efficient management but also ensures optimal energy consumption and sustainable use of installations.
Sustainable foundation for the future
With the project at WILDLANDS Adventure Zoo Emmen, BUILDING technology has laid a technological foundation that contributes not only to animal welfare and visitor experience, but also to sustainable and efficient long-term management. The combination of precision engineering, data-driven management, and invisible integration makes this project a leading example of modern building technology in a complex, living environment.
