Aiming to change the nature of zoo experiences for species on both sides of the glass, Zootopia radically reverses traditional layouts and changes conventional expectations. It almost looks as if the humans were on the display while the animals are given the most space possible to roam.

Being created in conjunction with the Givskud Zoo and Safari Park in Denmark, this architectural design by Bjarke Ingels Group (BIG)  is in part a response to some long-standing criticisms of zoos, attacked for putting animals into barred, walled and windowed boxes.

Instead, this architecture is meant to disappear, with barriers becoming effectively invisible and the experience more seamless for humans and animals alike. Rolling hills and strategic rocks replace over dividers, creating an environment that looks, feels and ultimately is more natural.

Additionally, habitats are being designed around the spatial needs and social desires of individual species, granting them the freedom as well as privacy required for each animal type to both survive and thrive.

For visitors, a central entrance gives a wide view in all directions to section spinning out from the middle and representing various climates and regions. Travel through the zoo will happen on foot but also by bike, boat and sky car.

The idea itself is not entirely novel – there are many drive-through zoos and wildlife refuges that attempt to simulate more organic conditions and break down barriers between humans and the animals they are visiting. Still, for a large-scale zoo, this approach is rare is not unprecedented in its aims and scope.

In a unique urban intervention, two college students took and attached a series of balloons marked with written phrases to stray canines Santiago, Chile. The messages encourage people to feed, pet and play with these ubiquitous animals, lost and in need of love. While one person carried the colorful balloon bouquet and attached the strings, the other of the pair filmed the fascinating results as pedestrians noticed and stopped.

As the video demonstrates, the dogs with balloon additions got the attention of others on the street quite quickly. Man’s neglected best friend became visible once again, with passers by stopping to hand over leftovers and spend time with these estranged animals.

The project is titled ESTOY AQUÍ (Intervención Urbana), which translates to a simple plea: I AM HERE. Written on the balloons are phrases like ‘feed me’, ‘pet me’, ‘hug me’ and ‘scratch me’.

From young puppies to older pals, thousands of homeless dogs roam the streets of this city. Most of them are friendly and simply in search of scraps – in turn, they are normally humanely avoided but largely ignored as the daily bustle of urban life takes place around them.

Aside from human interest, the dogs themselves sat up and took notice as well, in many cases playing with their own balloons and strings, or interacting with one another’s new colorful accessories.

Regular readers will know that this site love tree houses of all types, but in researching articles a few have slipped through the cracks, their stories and histories unknown, yet the images of them are too amazing to go un-shown.

These more mysterious examples come from a combination of Pinterest and Repinly, and range from pragmatic well-constructed residences to wild and overgrown structures that seem to have grown alongside the trees they surround, with a few derelict and deserted ones somewhere in between. Above are two examples that seem organically evolved, pieced together around the growth of their trees.

Of the sturdily-constructed sort, this one looks like a regular small family home simply lodged in the branches of a big deciduous monster and bolstered by basic framing.

Finally, the tree homes of fairy tales – these two magical examples show that plans are one thing, but fantasy is another – sometimes the tree is just a foil for boisterous expressions of amazing and spontaneous architecture.