Ursa International

Concept Planning starts with the institution, the client.  While expert at zoological sciences, the director and staff have the training and experience to generate ideas, insight and in-depth understanding for the questions facing the institution, a facilitator is generally needed to bring the group to consensus and to document the product.  Our workshop process has proven to be successful in multiple institutions and in several countries around the world at doing just that.   We can help you answer the question - What's Next?. 

We act as your in-house planning office: to work with your staff, to coordinate and facilitate  information gathering group workshops, and to document the ideas and criteria for possible further development.  We will work to gather ideas and feedback from a wide range of staff, with special meetings for special groups. 

Once we have completed generating ideas, we facilitate consensus-building activities where the staff works together to agree on their ...next great thing! Using a variety of group activities that are designed to allow the Institution to acquire ownership of its ideas, and see them illustrated on their site.

Workshop based Design Process with Client Team

Using a series of intensive on-site Workshops, from Blue Sky Visioning, Deep Water Analysis, Pre-Programming and Concept Design Phases, Ursa and the client team move quickly but comprehensively through the initial design process of a project.

Each of these workshops are summarized by a Workshop Manual, that reviews the entire session's progress and points to the goals and objectives of the next workshop.  During the period between workshops, Ursa refines the planning documents and accurately depicts the design intent and concept.  Ursa works with you to determine how many workshops are needed for your project's goals to be met.  At the end of these workshops, we pull together a final report that can be used for a variety of promotional uses.  Depending on the project, renderings or models can be assembled to visually represent the ideas to a wider audience. 

While the Concept Plan is complete, the project needs further design and development to get it built (see Master Planning and Zoological Design pages).  It will, however, answer the question - What's Next? and help you get the financial support you need to assemble a full design team to take it through construction.


Use this link to access our CONCEPT PLANS project briefs