Palm Beach Zoo & Conservation Society
Palm Beach Zoo and Conservation Society Manages Runoff, Inspires Sustainable Design with Belgard® Eco-Holland® Permeable Pavers
Every Project Starts with a Purpose
As part of ongoing improvements to the Palm Beach Zoo and Conservation Society, designers at Michael Singer Studio were tasked with reimagining the entry plaza in a way that would embody the organization’s values and conservation mission, as well as demonstrate to the visiting public how to build sustainably in South Florida.
In Florida, there is a significant focus on water management and codes that require new construction take efforts to manage runoff. Designers created a striking feature for the new entryway, an approximately 7,850 square foot tiger stripe pattern, but had to implement it in a way that controlled water runoff. Contractors suggested stained concrete, but this did not have the environmental and water control properties needed.
The Solution
Solving for Style, Function, and Durability
To create the tiger pattern while also controlling stormwater runoff, Singer Studio selected Belgard® Eco-Holland® permeable pavers in Napoli and Aragon. Compared to stained concrete, the permeable pavers offered a stronger aesthetic, easier repairability and meaningful environmental benefits.
Designer Jason Bregman noted that the pavers allow stormwater to filter into the ground beneath, enabling the walkway and multi-use patio to function as green space through which water can move. “As an added eco-benefit, the pavers were regionally manufactured and there was recycled content used as the aggregate beneath them,” Bregman said.
Bregman worked with Precise Paving, Inc. to install the tiger pattern using permeable pavers without visible edging. Together, they developed dimensions that allowed the pattern to be constructed using full pavers only.
“It was more challenging to lay the 4×8 pavers in this type of pattern, but keeping them intact without cutting them to fit saved three or four days of installation and was more economical,” said Rob Goossens Jr., vice president of Precise Paving, Inc. “This is a great example for other projects looking to incorporate dynamic designs because it shows it is possible to do unique patterns without the added labor and cost of cutting the pavers.”
The Result
A Lasting Impression:
The Final Transformation
“This project represents an investment in our Zoo as the second-most visited cultural attraction in Palm Beach County,” said Palm Beach Zoo CEO and President Margo McKnight. “It provides a warm and welcoming atmosphere to our visitors and members.”
Michael Singer Studio designed the entry plaza to reinforce that experience, incorporating sculpted walls, layered vegetation and a flowing water garden that soften the space while maintaining the intimate character central to the Palm Beach Zoo’s identity.
Over time, the sculpted walls will be partially covered with climbing ficus, further integrating the plaza into its natural surroundings. The sculpted concrete used in the walls and water garden was locally cast with 100 percent recycled concrete aggregate. A new Florida Power and Light 100kW solar array shade structure now covers a significant portion of the parking lot, and the plaza bollards were fabricated from 100 percent recycled cast aluminum.
“I’m really pleased with the way the design turned out—and that it could be accomplished with a pervious system that was within budget,” said Jason Bregman.
The project was awarded top honors in the Permeable Paver category at the national 2021 Hardscape North America Project Awards.
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