Animal Healthcare Center & Teaching Facility and Commissary, Programming and Planning Study

Potter Park Zoo

Potter Park Zoo, located in Lansing Michigan, is nestled in a forested site with a quiet park-like atmosphere. Its discrete location is quite the hidden jewel. Its long history with the Michigan State University College of Veterinary Medicine, has resulted in a large number of veterinary students being educated annually at the zoo.

The current 900 square foot clinical facility was not only outdated and undersized but it did not uphold the educational mission of the zoo. The new Animal Healthcare Center and Teaching Facility will demonstrate the zoos commitment to educating the public and their zoological peers in the fields of animal care, zoo medicine, and food preparation for zoo animals.

The new Animal Healthcare Center and commissary will enable the public to view surgeries, treatments, imaging, and how food is prepared. Accessible from both the public viewing side and the clinical side, a large multipurpose classroom is designed to hold educational seminars and teleconferencing. Quarantine spaces have also been incorporated to provide a safer environment for the animals at the zoo.