July 22, 2021

Zoo Furnishings

At the halfway point of the summer season, we love seeing busy public spaces and the increased usage of the outdoors during the warm-weather months. We also recognize that summertime is when site furnishings really get put to the test. Our products provide seating, dining areas, bike parking and waste disposal solutions all year long, but summer is the ideal time for site furniture products to serve their purpose at popular outdoor venues and summer destinations. We’ve showcased examples of this in the past with our Sites of Summer blog post, but this time we’d like to focus on a favorite summer bucket list setting for adults and children alike – Zoos!

Keystone Ridge Designs has provided zoo benches and other furnishings to zoos in Tacoma, WA, Denver, CO, Pittsburgh, PA and many other animal parks in between. With a steady influx of visitors and long winding walking paths, benches, picnic tables and trash cans are essential to managing the needs of zoo crowds in the summer. Below are just a few highlights of our outdoor furniture installations at zoos across the country.

Pittsburgh Zoo & PPG Aquarium

Near and dear to our hearts is the local installation just an hour south of Keystone Ridge Designs at the Pittsburgh Zoo & PPG Aquarium. With the selection of our classic Pullman bench, you can find seating throughout the park and near the aquarium in the form of memorial benches with cast bronze plaques dedicated to influential advocates and patrons of the zoo.

Just be careful to stay out of the splatter zone when sitting on these zoo benches!

Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium

A project that dates back to 2004, we have always appreciated the thoughtful use of our patented designs to support the thematic elements of this zoo in Tacoma, WA. When Point Defiance Zoo originally expanded to include an Asian Forest Sanctuary, they chose the unique designs of our Atlanta and Tei series of products to complement the landscape architecture. Utilizing tree benches and earth-tone custom colors, these products easily blend in with the natural environment.

Oklahoma City Zoo

The Children’s Zoo section of the Oklahoma City Zoo is home to a collection of brightly colored benches from our Thendara series. The Adirondack-inspired design of the Thendara along with the custom blue color conveys the sense of fun and whimsy appropriate for a kid-themed area.

Brandywine Zoo

A notable custom project in its own right, this zoo seating installation in Wilmington, DE is a result of a creative collaboration between Keystone Ridge Designs and the architects with Delaware State Parks. The Brandywine Zoo has had our Lamplighter benches and Harmony litter receptacles on site for many years. A new idea was hatched when upgrades to the Madagascar exhibit left half of a large Hemlock log unused. With the remaining log half, the design team wanted to convert the leftover wood into benches. Embracing the opportunity for such a creative customization, the end result was a metal frame based on our Reading series bench in which the finished log could be placed in.

This was a great way to bring a natural element into the park furnishings. From what we can tell, the Lemurs like it!

If you are headed to a zoo this summer, see if you can spot your favorite species of site furniture nestled amidst the trees, along the trails or in the wide-open spaces. Here and in other outdoor parks and public settings you will find Keystone Ridge Designs products at home in their natural habitat.

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