Granlund Oy is to design building services for the Panda House project of Ähtäri Zoo in Finland. The city council of Ähtäri has granted a surety bond of EUR 8,2 million for the panda project, and the goal is to have the panda house and the inside and outside pens completed by the start of December 2017.
Building services play an important role in the project as the aim is to create an authentic habitat for the pandas. “The focus in the building service design is first and foremost on animal comfort and wellbeing. The facilities will be designed to be energy efficient through ecological solutions. Also visitor experience is an important element,” says Vikke Niskanen who is a project manager in charge of building services.
The panda house project is part of Ähtäri Zoo’s long-term Master Plan 2030 development programme that, for instance, strengthens Ähtäri Zoo’s internationally recognised efforts to preserve endangered species and continues the development work to make Ähtäri Zoo the leading nature and family travel destination. The main contractor of the project is Lemminkäinen Talo Oy.
The pandas are expected to arrive at Ähtäri Zoo from China already in December 2017. Approximately 50 giant pandas live outside China. The reason for placing pandas in zoos is to conserve the endangered species in all types of habitats. Chinese and Finnish experts have collaborated for long now to protect the natural forest habitat of giant pandas.