The Project
Working Studio partnered with the Detroit Zoological Society to bring the Fred and Barbara Erb Discovery Trails to life, creating more than 300 custom elements throughout the seven-acre adventure at the Detroit Zoo. From hands-on educational interactives and immersive play experiences to multilingual animal identification panels, wayfinding, donor recognition, and dimensional building signage, Working Studio helped create engaging new ways for visitors to connect with animals and the natural world.
At the grand entrance to Erb Discovery Trails, Working Studio created the Central Gateway, a striking 27-foot-tall by 50-foot-wide dual-tree entryway that greets visitors with a colorful and immersive introduction to the trails. As one of Working Studio’s largest projects to date, the Gateway establishes a memorable visual landmark and sets the tone for the exploration and adventure beyond. Complementing the Central Gateway, scaled-down versions of the distinctive tree structures mark the East and West entrances, creating a cohesive architectural identity and welcoming visitors from multiple points throughout Discovery Trails.
A centerpiece of the project is the Senses Trail, a playful, multi-sensory experience designed to engage all five senses and welcome visitors of every ability. Working Studio fabricated interactive elements including a Light Wall and custom Kaleidoscope that explore color, refraction, and light; accessible musical instruments positioned at varying heights; and tactile experiences such as the Touch Map and Texture Rail, both featuring Braille. Working Studio collaborated with Detroit’s Leader Dogs for the Blind and Cincinnati’s Clovernook Center for the Blind and Visually Impaired to help develop these tactile experiences. Scented planters filled with fragrant plants and flowers complete the sensory journey.
Throughout Discovery Trails, Working Studio fabricated a range of environments and interactive elements that encourage exploration and hands-on learning. In Garden Grove, colorful planters, reclaimed-material growing systems, and the Weather Watch station introduce visitors to food production, agriculture, and the relationship between weather and daily life. At the Farmer’s Market, children can explore the farm-to-table journey through model produce and test their knowledge of animal nutrition with the Tip Scale interactive, where they can create a balanced diet for goats and donkeys.
For the Zoo’s youngest visitors, Little Sprouts offers a pond-themed play environment where toddlers can explore the lifecycles of butterflies and frogs. Working Studio, in partnership with ID Sculpture, created larger-than-life animals and natural elements that transform the landscape into an immersive, age-appropriate environment. Interactive Rock Platforms featuring water and slate drawing tablets provide additional opportunities for young visitors and caregivers to explore together.
Working Studio also collaborated with PropArt to commission life-sized goat and stingray sculptures for the Empathy Animals experience, which are located outside the Goat Encounter Yard and inside Aaron and Carolynn Frankel Stingray Cove, respectively, giving visitors an opportunity to practice gentle, hands-on interaction before entering the Zoo’s animal encounter areas.
Complementing the experiences throughout Discovery Trails, Working Studio produced a comprehensive signage package including colorful directional wayfinding, donor recognition signage, and dimensional building façade signs. Animal identification and story panels located throughout the trails feature messaging in English, Spanish, Arabic, and Chinese, helping make the experience accessible to visitors from a wide range of backgrounds.
Sustainability was an important consideration throughout the project. Working Studio worked closely with the Detroit Zoological Society to identify recyclable and environmentally responsible materials in support of the Zoo’s SITES certification goals. The result is a cohesive, highly interactive destination that combines play, education, accessibility, and environmental stewardship across seven acres of the Detroit Zoo.
Key Features
- Central Gateway
- Garden Grove
- Farmer’s Market
- Senses Trail
- Little Sprouts
- Comprehensive Signage
More Info
- Visit the Detroit Zoo
Thank You!
As one of Working Studio’s largest projects to-date, we know we could not have done this without the help of our numerous production partners. We would like to express our extreme gratitude the following who helped us bring this vision to life.
- Kraemer Design + Production
- Process Curiosity
- PropArt
- ID Sculpture
- Iron Faith Metalworks
- Precision Metal
- Higley Construction
- Clark Construction Company
- Roncelli
- R.C. Anderson
- Photo Lab, Inc.
- Harlan Graphics
- Clovernook Center for the Blind & Visually Impaired
- Leader Dogs for the Blind