Jonathan McLoughlin

About me

Zoos have been a major part of my life since a very young age. Most weekends I would pester my mum and dad to take me to Dublin Zoo. The zoo was a favourite place of mine growing up. Every family holiday usually involved a trip to a zoo or wildlife park. So my career would have come as no surprise to them and if asked “as a small child what did Jonathan want to be when he grew up?” the answer would be ‘a Zoo Designer.’

I’m a Chartered Landscape Architect, with the Landscape Institute (UK), and Zoo Designer. My work includes Masterplanning, zoo habitat and immersion landscape design, amongst other things. I was lucky to be educated in the majors of Architectural Technology and Sustainable Architecture, and I hold a Master’s degree in Landscape Architecture from the University of Sheffield, UK.

While working as a Principal Landscape Architect at Gillespies, I undertook a number of high-profile zoo projects. These projects have included the detailed design and delivery of the £45 Million landscape led masterplan expansion at Yorkshire Wildlife Park; a £17 Million ‘Grasslands’ project at Chester Zoo; and a Elephant habitat and lodge facility at West Midlands Safari Park.

Since establishing Dearadh Zu in 2020, I have led the design of a number of high-profile zoo schemes, ranging from Safari lodge accommodation at West Midlands Safari Park to strategic and detailed Zoo Masterplanning with Hertfordshire Zoo. I have also worked as part of multidisciplinary project teams, such as the NSCC Orangutan Facility at Twycross Zoo, where we delivered concepts, planning, and detailed designs.

EDUCATION

  • (2010 - 2012) MA Landscape Architecture - University of Sheffield, UK

  • (2008 - 2009) BSc (Hons) Sustainable Architecture - Wexford I.T., Ireland

  • (2004 - 2007) BSc Architectural Technology - Carlow I.T., Ireland

EXPERIENCE

  • (2021 - current) Director - Dearadh Zu

  • (2021 - current) Landscape Designer - Timberplay, Sheffield, UK

  • (2017 - 2021) Principal Landscape Architect - Gillespies, Leeds, UK

  • (2017 - 2018) Senior Landscape Architect - Gillespies, Leeds, UK

  • (2014 - 2017) Senior Landscape Architect - HLM Architects, Sheffield, UK

  • (2012 - 2014) Landscape Architect - Weddle Design, Sheffield, UK

  • (2008 - 2009) Junior Architect - McLoughlin Architecture, Ireland

MEMBERSHIPS

  • (2021) BIAZA Corporate Member

  • (2016) Chartered Member of the Landscape Institute (CMLI)

  • (2017) ABWAK member

CONFERENCES & TRAINING

  • (2024) Annual BIAZA Conference (Chester Zoo)

  • (2023) BIAZA Plant Working Group Conference (Edinburgh)

  • (2023) Annual BIAZA Conference (West Midlands Safari Park)

  • (2023) University of Sheffield *Special Tutor

  • (2023) ABWAK Symposium (Yorkshire Wildlife Park)

  • (2022) Annual BIAZA Conference

  • (2022) ABWAK Symposium *Guest Speaker

  • (2021) Annual BIAZA Conference

  • (2021) Annual Symposium (ABWAK)

  • (2020) Annual SEAZA Conference

  • (2020) Annual WAZA Conference

  • (2019) Zoo Design Conference Wroclaw, Poland

  • (2019) Zoo Horticulture Conference (BIAZA) *Guest Speaker

  • (2018) Rhino Conference (ABWAK), Cork Ireland *Guest Speaker

  • (2017) Zoo Design Conference, Wroclaw, Poland

  • (2017) Annual Symposium (ABWAK) *Guest Speaker

  • (2016) Zoo Exhibit Design and Planning Workshop, Amsterdam (EAZA)

  • (2016) Annual Symposium (ABWAK)

  • (2009) Elephant Habitat Design Workshop (Dublin Zoo)