Measuring 16,600 square feet in area and about 45 feet high with a vibrant red and gold exterior, the Elephant Barn in the Los Angeles Zoo’s new Elephants of Asia exhibit stands out as a majestic tribute to traditional Thai architecture. The building provides a habitat for up to 11 adult elephants, with overhead walkways that enable the elephant care personnel and behavioral researchers to observe without intruding on natural socialization. In addition, the barn features areas for the veterinary care and breeding of the giant animals.
The building was designed by Seattle architectural firm The Portico Group, with assistance from the Newport Beach, Calif., office of Langdon Wilson Architecture. The design was inspired by the traditional style of buildings in Thailand, where the elephant has long been a revered beast of burden. One of the most visually appealing components of the structure is a roof with multiple small, gabled sections clustered together like roofs that might be seen in a Thai village or on a Thai farm. All of these sections are tied together with the same 12/12 pitch, creating the biggest design challenge of the project. With multiple pitched roof sections coming together, the architects had to allow for careful flashing on the roof edges and know where rainwater would flow, to ensure that it would all be carried down to the ground below. Another challenge was finding a roof material that would provide a Thai-inspired “fish-scale” roof pattern.