Project Designer, PGAV Destinations
Jonathan Stechschulte, BS ’16, designs immersive spaces where humans can connect with wild animals they’d otherwise never encounter.
A project designer for PGAV Destinations in St. Louis, Missouri, the Ohio Northern University alumnus has worked on award-winning aquarium and zoo environments across the globe. One of his recent endeavors is Congo Falls, a two-acre gorilla habitat at the San Antonio Zoo, set to open this year.
Each project requires Jonathan to blend science, engineering, and creativity to achieve a delicate balance: a comfortable home for the animals, a safe and functional space for the animal caretakers, and an engaging experience for guests.
“I do everything in my power,” he says, “to push the forefront of zoological design for animals.”
Jonathan’s commitment to the conservation of species, ecosystems, and habitats began at an early age. His career enables him to live out this ethos, he explained, because zoos and aquariums are not just places for family fun, but critical players in wildlife conservation.
“Designing spaces that inspire awe and wonder in children and adults is immensely important to me,” he said. “If people are inspired—if they experience an emotional connection to animals— they are more likely to take action to protect them.”
Early interest in animals
As a child, Jonathan transformed one of his bedroom walls into a living gallery of tanks and aquariums.
“Looking back, my mom and dad were saints to let me have all those pets,” he laughed.
In eighth grade, he wrote a school report on a landscape architect who designed zoo exhibits. At the time, he thought it was the “coolest career ever” and tucked the idea away for the future.
At һƵ, he started out in engineering, then switched his major to environmental and field biology. His defining college experience came during Field Semester. This one-of-a-kind program took him off campus to һƵ’s Metzger Nature Center and the Florida State University Coastal and Marine Laboratory to have close encounters with plants, animals, and microorganisms in their natural environment.
“It was incredible to be able to be immersed in one subject for a few weeks at a time,” he said. “I loved being out in the field, getting my hands dirty.”
After graduation, Jonathan took a gap year and interned at an Ohio arboretum and a Florida conservation foundation. By the end of the year, he knew what he wanted to do: become a landscape architect, just like he’d dreamed about in middle school. He attended The Ohio State University for his master’s degree in landscape architecture.
Where curiosity leads
Today, Jonathan’s career is powered by curiosity.
“There’s an incredible number of things that I know I don’t know—but I know I can learn,” he said.
At PGAV Destinations, one of the world’s largest design firms for cultural and entertainment destinations, he’s constantly learning. One day he may be researching wetland plants of South America, and the next talking to animal experts about the behavioral nuances of apes.
“No two projects are the same,” he said, “because no two animals, even individuals of the same species, are the same.
For each project, he seeks to replicate natural habitats as closely as possible and support the physical needs and psychological wellbeing of the animals.
He obsesses over getting it right.
“I ask myself this every day: ‘did I design to the best of my ability for these animals in our care?’”
More than just animals
The animals, however, are only one side of the equation.
In addition to designing for the safety of animal caregivers, Jonathan must ensure his exhibits spark a sense of wonder for guests.
“I can’t underestimate the importance of story in my work,” he said. “What are guests feeling when they move through the space? How can I use dark and light, space compression and expansion, to evoke a sense of wonder and curiosity? It’s the attention to detail that matters.”
He often reflects that his eighth-grade self was right: he really does have coolest career ever.
“I am very fortunate to be able to wake up every day and be excited to go to work.”