Landscape Architecture Intern Visits from Germany

Jan Schoepe grew up in Cologne, Germany, surrounded by animals. His family had many adopted pets and they frequently visited the Koelner Zoo, where Jan (pronounced “yahn”) always dreamed of going behind the scenes.

Jan, 22, has now had the unique opportunity to go behind the scenes at Project Chimps for the past month as an intern thanks to a collaborative internship with the Seattle-based architecture firm, Zoo Design Inc.

Designing new habitats for former research chimpanzees

Zoo Design Inc is working with Lord Aeck Sargent  to develop preliminary design concepts for Project Chimps’ Phase 2 expansion, which will include three new outdoor habitats and companion chimpanzee villas.

Their designs also include site and landscape plans for the 236-acre Project Chimps property, located in the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Georgia.

Intern Jan is a third-year landscape architecture student at Germany’s Ostwestfalen-Lippe University of Applied Science, Hoexter campus.

From Germany to the Blue Ridge Mountains

One of his undergraduate courses included tips on how to apply for jobs in English, so Jan enthusiastically used his new-found skills and submitted applications to zoo and sanctuary design firms throughout the United States.

Fortunately, Jan received an encouraging response from international zoo designer Nevin Lash, who referred Jan to Zoo Design Inc.

Zoo Design Inc assigned Jan to the Project Chimps expansion immediately. He visited the sanctuary in September with the full design team and it was decided that he should return for an immersive experience to get to know the inner workings of the sanctuary and to better understand Project Chimps’ natural landscape.

Chimpanzees are “more than animals”

Intern Jan had no idea that he’d end up working a mere three feet away from former research chimpanzees!

“I was initially scared and amazed at first,” said Jan, adding, “Chimpanzees are smart and emotional at the same time.”

Jan says his experience in the sanctuary has changed his perception of non-human primates.

“This is totally different. They are so much more than animals,” said Jan. 

Jan worked with our chimpanzee care and facilities teams and has come to appreciate that chimpanzees are wild animals.

“You have to keep that in mind when you’re designing for them,” said Jan, adding, “Safety is critical for the sake of both humans and chimpanzees.”

Intern to share his findings

Next week, Jan will share his observations with the Project Chimps team and take those findings back to the design team at Zoo Design Inc. When his American internship ends in April 2019, he will return to finish his studies in Germany.

Jan has enjoyed living in the US, which he says offers many opportunities to learn. He adds that if there’s still an opportunity to work on our Phase 2 expansion in the future, he’d love to help again.

We’d love to have him back.