Nature’s Neighborhood is a complete re-imagining of what a children’s zoo can be and Dunbar Inc. helped with the highlight of the exhibit — a running stream where kids take off their shoes and enjoy the world of water. The stream was such a hit when Nature’s Neighborhood opened that within three weeks Dunbar was called back to expand the filtration system to handle the much higher than expected level of use.

Designed to be 100% explore-able, fully interactive, and just plain fun, Nature’s Neighborhood at The Toledo Zoo spans 1.4 acres. The most popular attraction in this area is part of Dunbar’s project— a running stream — and our work throughout the exhibit provides a comfortable, clean atmosphere for both guests and zoo creatures.

You will appreciate the three unseen HVAC units Dunbar installed in the Ohio Home as well as the ecologically friendly green details we provided including water-less urinals, low flow toilets, and electronic eye faucets. A free-standing hand washing station outside the goat barn is a visitor-appreciated amenity, and the goats enjoy the infrared heating units we installed inside and outside their enclosure.

Dunbar was awarded this project through a competitive bid process yet earned accolades from the Construction Manager for their service.“When another contractor hit a gas line I called Mark (Dunbar’s Project Manager) and he was here in 20 minutes,” said Ron Hanna, Project Manager for Bostleman Corporation. “Ten minutes later a guy was on site with the parts to fix it.”

Results
All the details are covered right down to the environments for the leaf-cutter ants and the beehive. The unique temperature and humidity requirements for both are controlled through systems Dunbar installed.

Predictably Excellent
“Dunbar doesn’t nickel and dime you to death. They know what they’re doing and their people know what they’re doing when they get here.”