The Design Team
The lead designers are Mike Pratt, the Shelter’s Director of Wildlife Services; Scott Horner, owner and lead architect of BIOS, LLC; and Read Ferguson, an architect with Western Edge Architecture & Design. Other team members include Bill Armour, a s
tructural engineer with Armour Unsderfer Engineering, Inc.; Vinnie Perrone, a geotechnical engineer with Perrone Consulting, Inc., P.S. who has donated a portion of his services; and Jaime Saez, a civil engineer with SCE inc. The illustrations for the Project were done for free by local artist Mike Hoffman.
The Take Flight enclosures are largely the concept of Mike Pratt. Mike has nearly 20 years of experience in the wildlife hospital field and during that time has made a point of studying wildlife hospital enclosures all over the country.
His flight cage design incorporates the best aspects of flight cages from top raptor facilities across the country, including the following: Raptor Trust (NJ), World Center for Birds of Prey (ID), Alaska Raptor Center (AK), Owl Foundation (Canada), Univ. Of MN Raptor Center (MN), Rocky Mountain Raptor Center (CO), Avian Haven (ME), World Bird Sanctuary (MO), Vermont Raptor Center (VT), National Aviary (PA), and Glen Helen Ecological Institute (OH).
Likewise, his waterfowl enclosure design incorporates the best aspects of waterfowl enclosures from facilities around the country, including the following: Interna
tional Bird Rescue Research Center (CA, AK), Alaska Sealife Center (AK), PAWS Wildlife Center (WA), Seattle Aquarium (WA), and Dry Creek Water Fowl Center (WA).
Mike’s conceptual designs have been brought to life by Scott Horner of BIOS, LLC, and Read Ferguson of Western Edge Architecture & Design. BIOS is an architectural firm that designs and manages the building of animal enclosures and exhibits all over the world. Currently, BIOS is designing a $2 billion wildlife park in Singapore. BIOS was the design/build firm for the recent Seattle Aquarium $40 million remodel. Scott is a world-renowned expert in animal exhibit and enclosure design. Scott took Mike’s concepts and created the initial drawings pro bono and is currently acting as the Project’s Senior Advisor, again donating his time. Read Ferguson, the Project’s lead architect, is lending his experience and insight, working closely with Scott and Mike to finalize the details of the Take Flight enclosures.
