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Austin Central Library, Austin Public Library, West Cesar Chavez Street, Austin, TX

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Austin Central Library, Austin Public Library, West Cesar Chavez Street, Austin, TX

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Austin Central Library, Austin Public Library, West Cesar Chavez Street, Austin, TX

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Austin Central Library features many manifestations of biophilic design. Some of the most obvious elements and attributes include environmental features, natural light, and views & vistas. The space fosters a feeling of childlike curiosity and play, building on and amplifying the peaceful and focused energy that libraries can evoke.

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Miika Eco Resort Hotel, To Butiaba Road, Hoima, Uganda

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Miika Eco Resort Hotel, To Butiaba Road, Hoima, Uganda

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Miika Eco Resort Hotel, To Butiaba Road, Hoima, Uganda

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Guests can enjoy a multi-sensory dining experience at this tranquil oasis. The bar and restaurant offer outdoor seating amidst a miniature tropical forest, where local birds, colobus monkeys, and other critters dine on fruit from the trees. A natural waterfall flows into the central river, creating a soothing soundscape as visitors stroll among the trees. Additionally, the foliage is labeled with information so visitors can learn about local species while they digest their delicious meal.

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Hauser & Wirth Somerset, Dropping Lane, Bruton, UK

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Hauser & Wirth Somerset, Dropping Lane, Bruton, UK

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Hauser & Wirth Somerset, Dropping Lane, Bruton, UK

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What a beautiful expression of landscape architecture by Piet Oudolf along with a fluid, organic, contemporary structure for art, and incorporating aged buildings. These relationships build upon many facets of biophilic design relationship.

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Fahy Commons, West Chew Street, Allentown, PA

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Fahy Commons, West Chew Street, Allentown, PA

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Fahy Commons, West Chew Street, Allentown, PA

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The project ultimately brings occupants in touch with nature both directly and indirectly. Occupants experience elements of environmental features, natural shapes and forms, patterns and processes, light and space, place-based relationships, and human-nature relationships while also experiencing sweeping views of a wooded hill descending to Lake Muhlenberg.

Goals identified by the project team and executed in the built project include the following:

Natural Patterns and Processes: Create a central focal point through the entry sequence of the building. Use transitional spaces, such as the entry foyer and central stair, to contrast the open vista of the balcony.

Light and Space: Incorporate natural daylight at the end and middle of corridors as well as from all regularly occupied spaces within the building.

Natural Shapes and Forms: Use natural shapes as accent forms in the building design. Examples include acoustic panels shaped like flower petals and live-edge furniture built out of wood harvested from the project site.

Environmental Features: Use natural materials, including wood and moss, and nature-toned paint colors.

Place-based Relationships: Landscape design that retains stormwater and provides habitat for native flora and fauna strengthens the local ecology. Furniture made from trees that were harvested during the building construction create a historical and ecological connection to place.

Evolved Human-Nature Relationships: The balcony above the atrium space provides a safe place to overlook the surrounding environment.

The building signage provides information on sustainable features of the building, but my favorite feature is being able to see the theme of water run through the building. You can see the rainwater harvesting equipment behind glass doors from the garden level while looking at the water pattern expressed in the lobby tables, out to the forest and lake Muhlenberg.

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So, what is LBC Core?

The Core Green Building Certification is a version of the Living Building Challenge (LBC) which focuses on ten core practices seen as the baseline for deep green building. Following the primary structure of LBC, Core imperatives are in seven divisions referred to as petals: Place, Water, Energy, Health + Happiness, Materials, Equity, and Beauty. While LBC is known for setting the highest and most rigorous goals for green building in the industry, Core seeks to set achievable and meaningful goals for project teams which are interested in upping their green certification game but may not be ready for the full Challenge.

For Muhlenberg, pursuing Core was an easy choice as it was perfectly aligned with their sustainability plan and offered an engaging experience for faculty, students, recruits, and the community.

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With the first new building constructed on campus since 2006, Muhlenberg College is putting forth a built example of their deep commitment to sustainability with the Fahy Commons. In addition to achieving LEED Platinum certification, the multi-purpose 20,000 sf building is also the first Living Building Challenge Core ready building in the world.

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Punta Cana International Airport, Carretera Aeropuerto, Punta Cana

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Punta Cana International Airport, Carretera Aeropuerto, Punta Cana

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Punta Cana International Airport, Carretera Aeropuerto, Punta Cana

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This airport brings the Caribbean into the building. Immediately after landing you can imagine yourselves in the beach due to the use of coastal materials, and the texture of the roof palm tree leaves and fossil coral stones

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Hauser & Wirth Somerset, Dropping Lane, Bruton, UK

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Hauser & Wirth Somerset, Dropping Lane, Bruton, UK

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Hauser & Wirth Somerset, Dropping Lane, Bruton, UK

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What a beautiful expression of landscape architecture by Piet Oudolf along with a fluid, organic, contemporary structure for art, and incorporating aged buildings. These relationships build upon many facets of biophilic design relationship.

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Perot Museum of Nature and Science, North Field Street, Dallas, TX

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Perot Museum of Nature and Science, North Field Street, Dallas, TX

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Perot Museum of Nature and Science, North Field Street, Dallas, TX

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Perot Museum of Nature and Science, North Field Street, Dallas, TX

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The High Line on the West Side of Manhattan is a beautiful example of Biophilic Design. Rather than removing the old elevated rail and tracks, the city, in conjunction with designers and developers, turned it into a public park that runs 1.45-miles long. Using native plants, sculpture and art, visitors are surrounded by nature.

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Fernando de Arguello 6699, 7650674 Vitacura, Santiago, Región Metropolitana

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Fernando de Arguello 6699, 7650674 Vitacura, Santiago, Región Metropolitana

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Fernando de Arguello 6699, 7650674 Vitacura, Santiago, Región Metropolitana

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Enticing floating winding path to residential building entrance

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VHX9+7CG, Wata Aamaret Chalhoub, Lebanon

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St. Georges Church, Aamaret Chalhoub, Lebanon

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St. Georges Church, Aamaret Chalhoub, Lebanon

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Biophilic design, as exemplified in the Church of St. Georges Amaret Chalhoub by architect Tarek Zeidan, transcends conventional notions of structure and aesthetics. This design philosophy seamlessly integrates elements of the natural world into the built environment, fostering a deep connection between individuals and their surroundings.

One of the striking features of this project is the grand staircase, which serves as a multifunctional space where nature intertwines with human activity. Lush plants and thoughtfully placed seating merge seamlessly with the steps, creating an inviting space for people to not only ascend but also to linger, socialize, and connect with nature. The integration of a ramp from the sidewalk to the plaza ensures accessibility for all, promoting inclusivity and a sense of community.

The play of light and shadow within the Church is orchestrated with finesse, showcasing the architect's mastery in creating a dynamic and visually engaging interior. Generous skylights strategically positioned on the walls interact with the ever-changing natural light, casting enchanting hues that evolve with the seasons and the time of day. This dance of light not only enhances the aesthetic appeal but also contributes to a sensory experience that evolves throughout the year.

The main door of the Church is a testament to the commitment to biophilic principles, drawing inspiration from the textures found in nature. The incorporation of both vertical and horizontal patterns not only adds a tactile dimension to the entrance but also symbolizes the harmonious coexistence of elements in the natural world.

The stone facade of the Church, particularly noteworthy for its vertical scratching, demonstrates a keen understanding of environmental considerations. Positioned with a south orientation, this design feature self-shades the facade, mitigating thermal heating and promoting energy efficiency. Simultaneously, it creates a captivating interplay of light and shadow, transforming the external facade into a canvas that evolves throughout the day.

Materials sourced sustainably further underscore the environmentally conscious ethos of the design. The careful selection of textures in these materials adds depth and character to the space, creating an atmosphere that resonates with both the built and natural environments.

In essence, the Church of St. Georges Amaret Chalhoub stands as a testament to the transformative power of biophilic design, where architecture becomes a medium for communion with nature. Through meticulous attention to detail, innovative use of space, and a commitment to sustainability, this architectural gem exemplifies a harmonious blend of the man-made and the natural, creating a sanctuary that transcends the traditional boundaries of design.

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Everybody's Tree House, Trail Ridge Road, Cincinnati, OH

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Everybody's Tree House, Trail Ridge Road, Cincinnati, OH

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Everybody's Tree House, Trail Ridge Road, Cincinnati, OH

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Hidden in the largest city park in Cincinnati is a magic treehouse. Few know about it, but those who do come from all over to live out childhood dreams.

This otherworldly, elevated structure buried in trees and seemingly snatched out of a fantasy novel is the Mount Airy Treehouse. It’s located in Mount Airy Forest and has a sign that reads “Everybody’s Treehouse” at its entrance.

Read more

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Prime Meridian Healthcare, South 1300 West Street, Pleasant Grove, UT

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Prime Meridian Healthcare, South 1300 West Street, Pleasant Grove, UT

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Prime Meridian Healthcare, South 1300 West Street, Pleasant Grove, UT

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Designed by VCBO Architecture and completed in 2018, this building was inspired by colors and textures found in the high alpine zone of the nearby Wasatch Mountains. An atrium full of colorful butterfly sculptures welcomes visitors, leading to a reception area featuring a water wall with stone and moss, and a reception desk built with live-edge wood slab countertops. An abstract wood slat ceiling element references light filtering through tree branches, with lichen texture highlighting the mottled ground below. The wood paneling on the corridor walls was inspired by the light vertical lines of aspen trees. Identification signage next to each exam room door completes the biophilic design with closeup images of flowers and herbs used for popular essential oils.

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Walden Pond State Reservation, Walden Street, Concord, MA

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Walden Pond State Reservation, Walden Street, Concord, MA

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Walden Pond State Reservation, Walden Street, Concord, MA

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The Visitors Center at Walden Pond by Maryann Thompson Architects use locally obtained wood and reclaimed lumber to integrate with the surrounding Walden Woods, creating a connection to and a reverence for nature.

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Tartu maantee 80, 10112 Tallinn, Estonia

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The rebirth of the historical cellulose and paper factory area as Fahle business estate in the centre of Tallinn is marked by dialogue between the massive limestone walls of century-old industrial buildings, modern glass volumes and verdant vegetation.

Built mostly between 1908 and 1915, the block of buildings accommodated a paper factory with its various departments until the 1990s. In the 21st century, it is undergoing conversion from an industrial to a post-industrial space.

Fahle Gallery Street is a covered passage born out of this conversion. Formerly a narrow street between factory buildings, then walled up and closed altogether, it was reopened in 2021 as a glass-roofed, tropically vegetated oasis that knows no winter, even when it is all ice and snow outside.

The robustness of old limestone walls is now seconded by slender additions of steel. The greenish-toned solar control glass up above rests on the Art-Nouveau-inspired roof structures of the historical factory complex. The beams of the glass roof are supported directly, without any columns, by new concrete girders built into the cornices of the existing buildings. The slope and height of the roof vary in order to include all the Art Nouveau frontispieces on the walls in the interior space. The buildings on both sides of the passage are interconnected into a whole by a bridge crossing the airspace of the lofty gallery, and actually by the entire indoor street.

The passage is lined with offices, shops, restaurants and terraces extending into the oasis. The light and airy terrace furniture in variations of green creates street-like vibes while elements characteristic of a park and the barely perceivable borders between the indoor and outdoor spaces evoke a shift in the frame of mind, giving the gallery a distinctive dreamy atmosphere, which has become a favourite for special events or just meetups.

The landscape architecture of Fahle estate has been conceptually inspired by the idea of nature taking over the city space. Luxuriant greenery has found a place to establish itself in most cracks. There is grass growing under the trees and bushes and in the joints of the white granite slab pavement. The concept of nature coming back recurs throughout the development of Fahle estate as a whole, where the dense limestone environment is animated by the seemingly wild vegetation.

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Fahle Gallery Street was designed by architects of LUMIA.

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Grace Farms, Lukes Wood Road, New Canaan, CT

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Grace Farms, Lukes Wood Road, New Canaan, CT

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Grace Farms, Lukes Wood Road, New Canaan, CT

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The goal of SANAA architects was "to make the architecture of the River becomes part of the landscape without drawing attention to itself, or even feeling like a building, with the hope that those who are on the property will have a greater enjoyment of the beautiful environment and changing seasons through the spaces and experience created by the River.
Nestled into the rolling landscape of Grace Farms, the River begins on a knoll and then flows down the long, gentle slope (a change in grade of 43 ft – 9 in) in a series of bends, forming pondlike spaces on its journey. Structurally, the building of glass, concrete, steel and wood is in essence a single long roof, which seems to float above the surface of the ground as it twists and turns across the landscape. The walkways, courtyards and glasswrapped volumes that form beneath the roof are remarkably transparent and invite people to engage with the expansive natural surroundings."
https://gracefarms.org/river-building

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Grace Farms and its River building were honored with a number of prestigious design awards from local, national, and international organizations. In addition to excellence in design, many of the citations recognized the unique mission of Grace Farms and the integration of social good into the concept of a publicly available space.

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Explore the River Building at Grace Farms, designed by SANAA and winner of the 2014/2015 MCHAP. Learn more about this piece of modern architecture in New Canaan.

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Pavone House has been home to five generations of the same family - the building's 2017 renovation embracing biophilic design  

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Pavone House: Winner of the 2023 LFIA Biophilic Design Awards in the Interiors and Renovation Category (Architect Pippa Soccio) 

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Pavone House: Winner of the 2023 LFIA Biophilic Design Awards in the Interiors and Renovation Category (Architect Pippa Soccio) 

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https://living-future.org.au/biophilic-design-case-study-pavone-house/

Welcome to my family home in Melbourne (Wurundjeri land) where I’ve lived for 13 years. We affectionately call our home Pavone House. This means ‘peacock’ in Italian, named after our street. Pavone House is my husband’s ancestral home. His grandparents migrated from Italy in the 1930s and moved into Pavone House (newly constructed) in the 1950s with their five children and parents. Fast forward to 2023, our sons (aged 1yr and 5yrs) are the fifth generation of the Soccio family to reside at this address, signifying our deep attachment to the site and the spirit of place.

Indoor environment quality: a multi-sensory design problem

I am an academic and architect. I specialise in the design and use of learning spaces. In addition, I was the architect of our 2016/2017 home renovation; which remains my only residential project. Our house renovation provided a testing ground for the many ideas I formed while completing my PhD on indoor environment quality (IEQ) in schools. Contrary to mainstream responses that put energy efficiency first, my underlying design objective was to create a home with beautiful IEQ, having a firm belief that this could – if done properly – equate to energy efficiency! My IEQ research highlights the importance of considering how the sub-components of acoustics, air quality, lighting and thermal comfort ‘interact’ and impact what we hear, smell, feel and see. Although I don’t contend to being an expert in Biophilic design, I believe there are synergies between biophilia and IEQ that can be leveraged. Particularly when you approach IEQ as a multi-sensory design problem (and not merely about building services).

Change and metamorphosis

The median size of a newly constructed Australian homes is 235m2 (huge!). The original building envelope was 92m2, but our lifestyle called for extra space, so we demolished the sunroom – a 1960s addition – and added 63m2, taking the total building footprint to 155m2. Working within the existing hardwood frame we reconfigured the space – opening rooms up to take advantage of open plan living. Tying back to my childhood, I set out to use the building as a conduit that connects the front and backyards through an interstitial space: a refuge in inclement weather.

Importantly, my design intent alongside connecting the house to landscapes and optimising environmental comfort (IEQ), was to apply the ‘Home for Life’ principle.

I’ve made deliberate, upfront decisions to prolong the life of the structure and services. This means that at four distinct stages of our envisaged life, the house can be easily adapted, to meet the changing needs of our family’s physical, psycho-logical and physiological comfort. This is important as while we celebrate our historic connection to place, our house cannot be a museum! It must also be contemporary and future focused: Able to evolve with the emergent needs of our growing family, while celebrating the past.

Across all four stages, the building retains its connection back to views and vistas of the various open spaces. This level of detailed planning also aligns with Kellert’s exploration of change and metamorphosis.

Landscaping feature that defines building form

The north facing pergola is an interstitial space. The line between indoor and outdoor is blurred by a large (yet young) apricot and nectarine trees, which I’ve been patiently espaliering to the structural frame. The natural canopy provides shade, but also dappled light. The bonus of course is the abundance of fruit we get to enjoy! Unlike other more formal areas that serve very specific functions, this outdoor room is multi-dimensional. It’s a place of retreat with a book or cup of tea; quiet reflection with my husband about the events of a long day; and the venue for a loud conversation with neighbours passing by and strangers inquiring about produce in the vegetable garden. For my oldest son newly starting school, the swing hanging beneath the foliage provides a place of refuge when he needs moments of calmness.

Views to nature

Our renovated living room is designed to now maximise views of nature. The large seat in front of the bi-folding windows bring the outdoors inside. Compared with pre-renovation, this room is now brightly illuminated with daylight and volumes of fresh air. On a warm day we let the cool air in. Then for contrast (on a cold winter night) we light the fire and enjoy the ambience it provides, along with warmth and thermal texture.

The kitchen is the soul of our house. Italian culture celebrates the gathering of friends and family with food and drink. Our recycled hardwood benchtops and floors are finished with a wax polish to reduce VOCs (also low VOC internal paints). Air quality in Summer is further enhanced with a ducted evaporative cooling system, which is complimented by several bays of louvred windows. The ability to easily ‘open the house up’ maximises air flow, enabling us to experience the dramatic effect of a cool change, after a hot day.

The kitchen opens onto our meals area and a large red-cedar wall that seamlessly transitions from being an internal wall to external cladding that wraps the extension. Pre-renovation the meals area was more of a junk space than a living area, primarily because the cracked concrete slab was a source of rising damp, making the space smell constantly wet. Now it is the best spot in the house with a large skylight. It’s a conversation zone that has hosted many dinner parties, so I wanted to ensure that people could hear one another! The red cedar timber has acoustic properties and combined with acoustic insulation (inside the cavity) improves sound absorption, shortening reverberation times.

The dining, kitchen and living rooms are anchored by vistas of the front and back gardens. These spaces now flow into one another encouraging movement of fresh air, light, people, conversation… Our lives are enhanced by an overarching sense of connectedness that we never experienced in our house pre-renovation. However, despite now being open plan, the enclosed footprint of the original floor plan can still be traced back due to strategic positioning of dual exposed recycled timber post and beam systems. These pay homage to our past but also, due to their weathered appearance, celebrate the patina of time in all facets of life. The random pattern of fixings in the aged timber provides ideal places to hang plants of varying colours and textures, which are thriving from the natural light that floods into the spaces. We, like our plants, thrive here.

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Bahá'í House of Worship, Linden Avenue, Wilmette, IL

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Bahá'í House of Worship, Linden Avenue, Wilmette, IL

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Bahá'í House of Worship, Linden Avenue, Wilmette, IL

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https://www.architecture.org/learn/resources/buildings-of-chicago/building/bahai-house-of-worship/

This is a beautiful structure just north of Chicago. It is awe-inspiring inside (with its 138' high dome) and out (with its intricate stone work). The landscaped gardens that surround it are also wonderful.

A few of the biophilic design attributes are: filtered and diffused light; light and shadow; reverence and spirituality; botanical motifs; and domes.

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The Bahá'í House of Worship in Wilmette is an intricate concrete masterpiece with thoughtful details that reflect oneness for humanity.

The Bahá'í religion was founded in the Middle East in the 1840s. Its introduction in the United States can be traced back to a Parliament of the World's Religions meeting in Chicago in 1893. By 1900, there were nearly 1,000 Bahá'ís living in the U.S. and Canada. Plans to construct a Bahá'í temple in the Chicago area emerged in 1903, but it would be another 50 years before the temple was finished.

Two lots were purchased along Lake Michigan in 1907, in what was then Grosse Pointe (now Wilmette). Raising funds for the temple's construction proved difficult, as it was financed by individual contributions from Bahá'ís around the world. Two World Wars and the Great Depression slowed things down. The son of the religion's founder dedicated the temple during a visit to the U.S. and the foundation stone was laid in 1920.

The architect & the craftsman

Did You Know

During World War II, pilots in training from the nearby Glenview Air Station used the temple-which they called "Point Oboe"-as a guide during practice missions over Lake Michigan.

Did You Know

John Joseph Earley was a pioneer in the use of architectural concrete. His father, James Earley, was an Irish immigrant who became a noted sculptor. His most famous work was the "Buffalo" nickel.

Did You Know

Bahá'í House of Worship architect Louis Bourgeois worked for two prominent Chicago architects: Daniel Burnham and Louis Sullivan.

Load Another Fact
The building's architect, Louis Bourgeois, was a French Canadian who joined the Bahá'í faith more than a decade before working on the temple. He began his work on the structure in 1920 and moved his studio to a building across the street from the site, to be closer to his project. Bourgeois felt the design of the temple needed to reflect the Bahá'í belief of oneness for humanity, as well as the unity of all religions. In describing his design, he said, "There are combinations of mathematical lines, symbolizing those of the universe, and in their intricate merging of circle into circle, and circle within circle, we visualize the merging of all religions into one."

The building combines neoclassical symmetry, Gothic ribbing, a Renaissance dome, a Romanesque clerestory and Islamic arabesque tracery with the suggestion of minarets. The carvings on the nine exterior pillars reference various world religions with symbols like the Star of David, crucifixes and the Islamic star and crescent. The gardens contain both rectangular approaches and circular gardens, reflecting Eastern and Western influences.

Selecting a material to realize Bourgeois' elaborate designs proved difficult. Limestone, granite, terra cotta and aluminum were all considered before concrete was selected. One critic strongly disapproved, calling it "the most repellant object imaginable" since it lacked beauty of the surface and weathered poorly. But John Earley, a fifth generation stone carver who came from a family of ecclesiastical artists, made the concrete beautiful. Inspired by Italian pebble mosaics, Earley developed a method of exposing the larger pebbles in the aggregate of the concrete mixture. This gave the concrete a warmer appearance. On the Bahá'í Temple he used two types of quartz to give the exterior an almost luminescent quality. The result inside and out is stunning, resulting in the structure sometimes being referred to as the "Temple of Light and Unity."

Neither Bourgeois nor Earley saw the completed temple. The formal dedication for the superstructure took place in 1953.

The mother temple of the west

A Docent Perspective

The Bahá'í House of Worship has a rather dramatic setting on Sheridan Road and across from Wilmette Harbor. Because of the turns on Sheridan Road the temple can appear unexpectedly. The first time I saw the temple was late at night when I was driving back from the city. Suddenly this brightly illuminated dome jumped out at me. I nearly drove off the road.

Dick Clark, CAF Docent Class of 2008

There are only nine Bahá'í houses of worship in the world. All nine temples share certain design features, including domes and gardens. Each temple is nine-sided because Bahá'ís consider the number nine-the highest single number-a symbol of oneness, comprehensiveness and unity. In Wilmette, the temple includes nine entrances and nine verses above the doors and the alcoves. Of all the temples, the Wilmette house of worship is the oldest. It has been named a National Historic Landmark, one of the Seven Wonders of Illinois and is visited by 250,000 people a year. Aside from being called the "Temple of Light and Unity," the 1100-seat Wilmette building is known as the "Mother Temple of the West" by Bahá'ís around the world. Today, it remains the only Bahá'í temple in the U.S.

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The Bahá'í House of Worship in Wilmette is an intricate concrete masterpiece with thoughtful details that reflect oneness for humanity. The Bahá'í religion was founded in the Middle East in the 1840s. Its introduction in the United States can be traced back to a Parliament of the World's Religions meeting in Chicago in 1893.

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Little Island, West 13th Street, New York, NY

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Little Island, West 13th Street, New York, NY

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Little Island, West 13th Street, New York, NY

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"The 2.4-acre park is conceived as an experience for the people, to heighten the feeling of being on water and leaving the city behind. It is designed to create vistas and cultivate intrigue as visitors move about this labyrinth full of greenery celebrating the panoramas of New York City."
https://designcitylab.com/post/architecture/little-island-is-a-24-acre-whimsical-maritime-botanic-garden-on-the-hudson-river

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https://taos.org/explore/landmarks/taos-earthships/

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On a sprawling mesa northwest of Taos, sits the 600-plus-acre Greater World Earthship Community, started by Mike Reynolds and Earthship Biotecture.

The community includes more than 300 acres of shared land, and is fully off the grid, using solar and wind power exclusively. Some of the homes, such as the Phoenix, can be rented out by the night. Greater World is very much a work in progress, with a projected 20-year plan to reach completion.

Almost 50 years ago architect Michael Reynolds pioneered the development of these off-the-grid homes, he named Earthships; homes using passive solar technology, wind power, recycled water, old tires, car batteries, glass bottles and every bit of off-the-grid technology available.

A graduate of the University of Cincinnati, he departed from traditional architectural protocols with the inclusion of bio-ecological features into his designs, building a house, incorporating garbage - in the pre-recycling days of 1971.

Reynolds, who maintains that "there was no 'garbage' until modern man," rebelled against the restrictive ideology of his profession by wiring soft drink and beer cans together to form bricks, and using them to construct his home.

Over the following decades, his designs continued to evolve, incorporating thermal mass, passive solar energy and natural ventilation in order to respect the environment and to counteract climate change thorough architecture.

The resulting project was the Earthship we know today; a self-sufficient dwelling built with natural and recycled materials with energy conservation in mind. Designed to produce water, electricity, and food for its own use, Earthships are defined by six basic design principles, all of which take advantage of the existing natural phenomena of the earth: building with natural and repurposed materials, using thermal and solar heating and cooling, solar- and wind-generated electricity, water harvesting, contained sewage treatment and self-sustained food production.

As one nears the community, the first impression for most visitors is that they don't seem real and that's if you notice them at all. Coming from the south you may see the sunlight bouncing off windows and some undulating, futuristic forms but when approaching from the north, the structures disappear into the bermed earth from which they're made, leaving only a small windmill or a turret to signal their existence.

They truly are Earthships; Reynolds' unique architectural creation that draws simultaneously from the past while envisioning the future. Located in this equally unique community on the high desert plain of Tres Piedras, about thirty minutes from Taos, with an influence that has reached around the world.

Most of the Earthships are single-story structures; long and narrow, with one side generally built into a hill and the other side constructed of glass, with plants often occupying the space between the two walls. Many have whimsical turrets or towers attached, but others are quite simple. Their common denominator is that they were and are, constructed by the homeowners themselves, reflecting their personal style.

Their Hobbit - meets - Blade Runner exteriors aside, many of the interiors of these homes will surprise you with their cosmopolitan sophistication.

To get there, make a right off of Route 64 just west of the Rio Grande Gorge Bridge. You can take a small self-guided tour with limited access, however for the full tour that includes seeing the interiors of several Earthships, you can book online in advance.

For much more information about the Earthship community in Taos, booking a tour or signing up for the Academy, where you can learn how to build your own Earthship, please visit the sites linked below.
earthshipglobal.com

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On a sprawling mesa northwest of Taos, sits the 600-plus-acre Greater World Earthship Community, started by Mike Reynolds and Earthship Biotecture. The community includes more than 300 acres of shared land, and is fully off the grid, using solar and wind power exclusively. Some of the homes, such as the Phoenix, can be rented out [...]

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703 NW Green Oaks Blvd, Arlington, TX 76006, USA

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A simple fortress of fallen leaves and broken tree limbs, crafted by the creative hands of children, served as the inspiration for River Legacy Living Science Center, when it was constructed in 1996. The 12,000-square-foot center was developed with the specific objective of minimizing the impact on the environment. To that end, the Center itself is a fascinating study of architecture, conservation and sustainable design.

Three enormous red oak trees provide structural support for the roof of the building. The trees were salvaged from a City of Arlington street-widening project.

The entrance drive was carefully routed to avoid trees and to minimize paving and vegetative disturbance.

The parking lot is constructed of porous pavers that allow air and water to recharge the soil.

Walkways are made of decomposed granite with an organic resin that makes them firm, yet pervious to air and water.

Restroom walls consist of tiles made from recycled crushed windshields.

A gray water system of plumbing is used. The underground system captures the runoff from drinking fountains and sink materials; then stores, treats and recycles it for use in the landscaped areas complementing the structure.

Agrosoke, a naturally occurring moisture retention gel, acts as a water reservoir when added to bed and lawn soils.

The Living Science Center serves as an example of sustainable design, but it also serves to educate future generations so they too may sustain and support this natural resource.

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Chapel Of The Chimes Oakland Funeral Home & Crematory, Piedmont Avenue, Oakland, CA

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Chapel Of The Chimes Oakland Funeral Home & Crematory, Piedmont Avenue, Oakland, CA

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Chapel Of The Chimes Oakland Funeral Home & Crematory, Piedmont Avenue, Oakland, CA

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Chapel of the Chimes Oakland is truly a place like no other. Originally designed in 1909, this Oakland Historical Landmark Building has long been considered one of the most beautiful historic buildings in all of California. Featuring stunning natural stonework, polished marble, delicate sculptures and mosaic-tiled floors, it evokes renaissance beauty and serenity at every turn.

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Tartu Ülikooli Oecologicum, Juhan Liivi, Tartu, Estonia

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Tartu Ülikooli Oecologicum - Tartu, Estonia

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Tartu Ülikooli Oecologicum - Tartu, Estonia

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University of Tartu - Department of Botany and the Department of Zoology of the Institute of Ecology and Earth Sciences and the students of life sciences.

Oecologicum has state-of-the-art laboratories for studying plants, animals, fungi and other organisms. There are several resting areas for students and staff, and the lobby features the largest plant wall in the Baltics, 24 metres high, with around 2,600 plants.

The building was designed by AS Infragate Estonia, and the draft plan was made by architects of Arhitektuuriklubi OÜ Kaido Kepp and Tõnis Taru. Interior design is by interior architect Kristiina Voolaid from Impro OÜ. The building of 5,944 m2 was constructed by AS Tartu Ehitus, and its total cost was about seven million euros.

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In total, the 51-story building houses over 80,000 trees and plants across 90,000 square feet of landscaped area, which also includes a shady covered plaza at its base. According to the Danish firm Bjarke Ingels Group (BIG), which designed the tower in collaboration with Carlo Ratti Associati, most of the plant species found throughout the site are indigenous to Singapore and thus adapted to the year-round heat and humidity.

The architects describe CapitaSpring, which broke ground in 2018, as “biophilic,” an increasingly popular term that describes the integration of nature and design. The firm said in a press release that the placement of greenery “mimics the plant hierarchy of tropical rainforests,” with those requiring the least direct light lying beneath a “canopy” of taller trees.

“Due to the unique character of Singapore’s urbanism — both extremely dense and green — we decided to make the design a vertical exploration of tropical urbanism,” BIG’s founder, Bjarke Ingels, said in a statement, adding that the tower is “like a vision of a future in which city and countryside, culture and nature can coexist.”

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51-storey integrated development comprising Grade A office, 299-unit serviced residence, ancillary retail and a hawker centre

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Red Butte Garden, 300 Wakara Way, Salt Lake City, UT 84108, USA

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Natural forms and integration into the landscape, curvelinear shapes

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Red Butte Garden, 300 Wakara Way, Salt Lake City, UT 84108, USA

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Red Butte Garden, 300 Wakara Way, Salt Lake City, UT 84108, USA

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In a garden, biophilic design elements include
environmental features that employ natural
characteristics within the built environment.
Specific design attributes that reinforce this tie
to nature include: color, water, air, sunlight,
plants, animals, natural materials, views
and vistas, façade greening, geology and
landscape, habitats and ecosystems,
and fire.
Color is first on the list for a reason. Color has
long been instrumental in human evolution
and survival, enhancing our ability to locate
resources. This inherent attraction to color is
evident in our positive response to flowering
colors, rainbows, sunsets, glistening water,
blue skies, and other colorful features of the
natural world.
This key connection between the natural
and built environments describes another
term—biomimicry—the practice of borrowing
adaptations found in nature and applying them
to functional design. You may notice design
elements in this program that echo these
principles of nature.

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Operahuset Oslo, Kirsten Flagstads Plass, Oslo, Norway

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Operahuset Oslo, Kirsten Flagstads Plass, Oslo, Norway

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Operahuset Oslo, Kirsten Flagstads Plass, Oslo, Norway

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The goal was to make the capital city’s Opera House, commissioned in the year 2000, feel like a part of the surrounding nature, and the building’s architect, Snohetta, drew inspiration from icy glaciers. Outside, its open plaza and sloping, walkable roof make the building as much landscape and public space as architecture, making it a local landmark and a destination also for non-opera and ballet audiences. Generous windows at street level give the public a glimpse of the scenery workshop activities, and with eight connected art projects, making it one of Norway's largest public art projects, visitors are invited to awareness and engagement.

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Snøhetta's prize-winning design was characterized by the jury as having strongly identifiable themes that tie the building to its culture and place while also presenting an unusual and unique expression that was in many ways new and innovative. The project developed a highly complex program into a simple general plan that integrated both a practical and intuitive sculptural approach to modeling the exterior form. Its low slung form became a link within the city rather than a divisive sculptural expression. Its accessible roof and broad, open public lobbies make the building a social monument rather than a sculptural one.

The building is as much landscape as architecture and thus fosters public awareness and engagement with the arts. Generous windows at street level provide the public a glimpse of the scenery workshop activities. The building still finds an audience with public who are not opera, ballet or orchestra fans. The cafes and gift shop, with their access to the waterfront are destinations which offer opportunities to generate revenue for the institution while providing a general public amenity. Care was taken with the design of these components so that they are seamlessly integrated into the overall character of the building's bold design.

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Snøhetta's prize-winning design was characterized by the jury as having strongly identifiable themes that tie the building to its culture and place while also presenting an unusual and unique expression that was in many ways new and innovative.

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2126 15th St SE, Washington, DC 20020, USA

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2126 15th St SE, Washington, DC 20020, USA

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2126 15th St SE, Washington, DC 20020, USA

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The Grass House by BLD.US is an excellent example of a biophilic accessory dwelling unit (ADU) in the U.S. capital of Washington D.C. It incorporates bamboo structural panels from Bamcore along with natural wool insulation. The rock garden at the front is bordered with local bamboo from a nursery in nearby Maryland. Wood from a vacant lot down the street in the Anacostia neighborhood was used for the main stair and railings are complemented with woven willow branches.

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Trauttmansdorff - Die Gärten / I Giardini / The Gardens, Naifdammweg, Merano, Autonomous Province of Bolzano – South Tyrol

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Trauttmansdorff - Die Gärten / I Giardini / The Gardens, Naifdammweg, Merano, Autonomous Province of Bolzano – South Tyrol

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Trauttmansdorff - Die Gärten / I Giardini / The Gardens, Naifdammweg, Merano, Autonomous Province of Bolzano – South Tyrol

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Walk the sun-kissed slopes of one of Italy’s most important historical gardens in spring, summer or autumn in 360-degree tours of the medieval castle of Trauttmansdorff. First laid out in 1850 visitors can wander through 83 different gardens, including a 700-year-old olive grove, bamboo forest and vertical flower wall.

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Georgia O'Keeffe House Museum, NM-554, Abiquiu, NM, USA

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Georgia O'Keeffe House Museum, NM-554, Abiquiu, NM, USA

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Georgia O'Keeffe House Museum, NM-554, Abiquiu, NM, USA

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https://www.okeeffemuseum.org/homes/

The O’Keeffe Home and Studio reflects a blend of Native American and Spanish Colonial building styles, regional architectural traditions dating back centuries. The oldest rooms of the house were probably built in 1744. The house was expanded in the 19th century into a pueblo-style adobe (mud brick) hacienda, with rows of rooms organized around a common open space, or plazuela.

It was one of the courtyard walls of the home that first attracted O’Keeffe. She recalled: “As I climbed and walked about in the ruin I found a patio with a very pretty well house and bucket to draw up water. It was a good-sized patio with a long wall with a door on one side. That wall with a door in it was something I had to have.”

The 5,000-square-foot compound was in ruins in 1945 when she purchased the home from the Catholic Church. For the next four years, O’Keeffe supervised its restoration, which was carried out by her friend, Maria Chabot. O’Keeffe finally made Abiquiú her permanent home in 1949. The special character of the property, a quiet sanctuary from which to draw inspiration, perfectly suited O’Keeffe’s needs. O’Keeffe lived in the home from 1949 until 1984. She died in Santa Fe on March 6, 1986, at the age of 98. The O’Keeffe Home and Studio was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1998 and is now part of the Georgia O’Keeffe Museum.

O’Keeffe’s home in Abiquiú reveals her commitment to design and the aesthetics of her surroundings. Traditional adobe structures are found throughout the region, but O’Keeffe made her home distinctly modern, with abundant natural light, updated amenities, and midcentury modern furniture. She also decorated it with rocks and bones from her collection, and cultivated a garden that provided food for her and her guests. O’Keeffe may be one of the region’s most famous residents, but she is just a part of the larger human story that has unfolded in this valley over thousands of years. Rich in history, this land continues to fascinate and inspire all who see it.

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O'Keeffe's Two Northern New Mexico Homes

Georgia O'Keeffe maintained two homes in Northern New Mexico. Her summer house, twelve miles from Abiquiú, sits on 12 acres at the edge of a 21,000-acre property called Ghost Ranch. When O'Keeffe purchased the parcel in 1940, the greater Ghost Ranch operated as a dude ranch-a destination for visitors and tourists. Today, Ghost Ranch is a retreat center operated by the Presbyterian Church and still welcomes visitors. Though breathtakingly situated, O'Keeffe's Ghost Ranch home was not suitable for her to live in year-round. O'Keeffe purchased a larger home, in the village of Abiquiú, for its well-irrigated garden and the comfort it offered in winter. While both houses are owned by the Georgia O'Keeffe Museum, only the Abiquiú Home and Studio is open for public tours.

O'Keeffe's Abiquiú Home

The O'Keeffe Home and Studio reflects a blend of Native American and Spanish Colonial building styles, regional architectural traditions dating back centuries. The oldest rooms of the house were probably built in 1744. The house was expanded in the 19th century into a pueblo-style adobe (mud brick) hacienda, with rows of rooms organized around a common open space, or plazuela.

It was one of the courtyard walls of the home that first attracted O'Keeffe. She recalled: "As I climbed and walked about in the ruin I found a patio with a very pretty well house and bucket to draw up water. It was a good-sized patio with a long wall with a door on one side. That wall with a door in it was something I had to have."

The 5,000-square-foot compound was in ruins in 1945 when she purchased the home from the Catholic Church. For the next four years, O'Keeffe supervised its restoration, which was carried out by her friend, Maria Chabot. O'Keeffe finally made Abiquiú her permanent home in 1949. The special character of the property, a quiet sanctuary from which to draw inspiration, perfectly suited O'Keeffe's needs. O'Keeffe lived in the home from 1949 until 1984. She died in Santa Fe on March 6, 1986, at the age of 98. The O'Keeffe Home and Studio was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1998 and is now part of the Georgia O'Keeffe Museum.

O'Keeffe's home in Abiquiú reveals her commitment to design and the aesthetics of her surroundings. Traditional adobe structures are found throughout the region, but O'Keeffe made her home distinctly modern, with abundant natural light, updated amenities, and midcentury modern furniture. She also decorated it with rocks and bones from her collection, and cultivated a garden that provided food for her and her guests. O'Keeffe may be one of the region's most famous residents, but she is just a part of the larger human story that has unfolded in this valley over thousands of years. Rich in history, this land continues to fascinate and inspire all who see it.

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Georgia O'Keeffe's Homes - The Georgia O'Keeffe Museum

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O'Keeffe's Two Northern New Mexico Homes Georgia O'Keeffe maintained two homes in Northern New Mexico. Her summer house, twelve miles from Abiquiú, sits on 12...

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Hybrid House by Lindsey Love, photo by David Swift

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ENVIRONMENTAL FEATURES
COLOR
The color palette is neutral, natural and warm - long dark winters are more bearable when the surroundings are warmer on the color spectrum than cool tones.
NATURAL MATERIALS
The structural wood was cut and milled locally and is expressed on the interior as a support for the stairs.  The walls are built with a hybrid of double studs and cellulose or straw bales.  All of the walls are finished with hand-applied plaster, but the straw bale walls undulate slightly.  Part of the floor is also local clay.  Clay moderates the indoor air humidity toxins.
VIEWS AND VISTAS
Southern glass not only brings in the warmth of the sun but connects the occupants to the wind and weather outside.
LIGHT AND SPACE
The rhythm of the shadows created by the stairs creates a textural pattern.  Light hitting the undulating walls is bright and soft and the surface changes as the light moves throughout the day.  Muted light is brought in on the north end of the house through opaque insulated fiberglass panels which bring more light in in the winter when the sun is low. Botanical shadows dance and play against the plaster.
PLACED BASED RELATIONSHIPS
INTEGRATION OF CULTURE AND ECOLOGY
An indigenous pattern was carved into the clay plaster - a reminder of a different culture who was in this region more prevalently in the past.  Local materials as part of the local economy and culture.  The structure and form of the house fit within the hodgepodge context of the traditional western farming town which is now a small tourist town.
EVOLVED HUMAN-NATURE RELATIONSHIPS
AFFECTION AND ATTACHMENT
The construction was a process of developing relationships. The marks that the humans left on the wood and in the clay plaster are evident throughout. Seeing these marks is a reminder to the occupants of that process and those relationships. To anyone else, they invoke a realization of human touch and craft.

The

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1305 Taylor Way, West Vancouver, BC V7T 1X5, Canada

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Congregation Har El, the centre for Jewish Life

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Har-El Synagogue is nestled in a stand of second-growth forest located at the intersection of two major highways in mountainous West Vancouver. The facility spans a small salmon-bearing creek that swells to river-like proportions during the Spring thaw runoff.

Originally built in 1998, renovation of the sanctuary and social spaces were undertaken in 2010 and the addition of a social lounge was completed in 2013. The facility now measures 1,860 square metres and accommodates worship, educational, cultural and social functions.

Judaic symbolism features prominently through the use of constituent markers that embody and perpetuate the historical concept of the Ark of the Covenant and the Temple of Jerusalem. The markers were developed and abstracted from religious, artistic and architectural expressions that have been interpreted and expounded upon in synagogue design for thousands of years.

recognition

1998Canadian Wood Council Ron Thom Award
Lieutenant Governor of British Columbia Medal

American Wood Council Merit Award

1997
Canadian Architect Award of Excellence

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Har-El Synagogue and Community Centre West Vancouver

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Har-El Synagogue is nestled in a stand of second-growth forest located at the intersection of two major highways in mountainous West Vancouver. The facility spans a small salmon-bearing creek that swells to river-like proportions during the Spring thaw runoff.

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4800 Sangamore Rd, Bethesda, MD 20816, USA

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In keeping with the core ideals of the Washington Waldorf School to nurture the mind, spirit and body, the Waldorf additions to this 1950 County public school building reflect the dynamic program using Biophilic Design. Natural forms of the new addition play against the regular pattern of the original building. Large windows welcome daylight framed to highlight our relationship to the seasons. Floor patterns orient students’ footsteps with the local geography with longitude and latitude lines and the outline of the nearby Potomac River. – Quinn Evans Architects

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Bio21 Institute, Flemington Road, Parkville VIC

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Bio21 Institute, Flemington Road, Parkville VIC

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Bio21 Institute, Flemington Road, Parkville VIC

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Designed by DesignInc Melbourne, this new building combines state-of-the-art PC2 and clean room research laboratories with workspaces and collaborative shared spaces to expand on the Bio21 Institute’s engagement with multidisciplinary research, training and industry. This approach supports the Institute’s unique ‘school to bench to workplace’ vision. Co-tenants, CSL Research share the facility as home of their Global Hub for Research and Translational Medicine.

Thinking about scientific research begs the question: What is the essential quality a research building should have? The answer – a sense of discovery. The constrained, almost hidden character of the site provided an ideal opportunity to express that experience of discovery by creating a journey through space and nature.

The journey begins through a sequence of landscaped courtyards into a multi-level, light-filled collaboration forum, rich with biophilic experiences. Like a clearing in a forest, the forum provides a natural focus to the building. It opens to reveal a tall, tapering volume framed by natural materials and textures. Accessible from multiple directions, the forum connects directly to Bio21 David Penington and is the primary shared space for formal and informal meetings, breakout, circulation and collaboration.

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Glenroy Community Hub, Wheatsheaf Road, Glenroy VIC

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Glenroy Community Hub, Wheatsheaf Road, Glenroy VIC

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Glenroy Community Hub, Wheatsheaf Road, Glenroy VIC

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Glenroy Community Hub provides the City of Moreland community with a welcoming, nature-inspired environment to learn, grow, celebrate and heal. DesignInc envisaged the project as an opportunity to imagine what a new model community building might be and do. Connecting the community through a garden experience, biophilic design principles are utilised to create meaningful, restorative and uplifting connections with nature.

The Hub’s centrepiece is the new contemporary library, with Glenroy Memorial Kindergarten, maternal child health, a community health provider, neighbourhood learning and childcare co-located with the library. Framing the hub as a ‘social connector’ is a key strategy to increase community awareness of the range of council services and interaction. Strong social connection points bring together diverse groups and encourage intergenerational connection.

In a first for community buildings in Australia, the Hub is Passive House certified, while also built to achieve Living Building Challenge Petal Certification and Zero Energy Certification. Each one a rigorous sustainability certification that measures not only environmental performance, but also demand high-comfort standards that support the health, happiness and wellbeing of users.

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Eastgate Centre, Robert Mugabe Road, Harare, Zimbabwe

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Eastgate Centre, Robert Mugabe Road, Harare, Zimbabwe

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Eastgate Centre, Robert Mugabe Road, Harare, Zimbabwe

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Designed by Mick Pearce in the early 1990's the building passively regulates its own temperature through mimicking the workings of a termite mound.  The design also has a focus on use of natural light, incorporates planting within the facades and atria, uses locally sourced materials and the detailed forms and elements which make up the buildings aesthetic expression reflect both the termite mound from which it draws its inspiration, as well as forms and patterns of the indigenous people of the area, the Shona.
This is surely one of the earliest successful examples of both biomimicry and biophilic design. Please see youtube video below for further information

https://youtu.be/620omdSZzBs

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See How Termites Inspired a Building That Can Cool Itself | Decoder

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Our campus is located approximately 7 km outside Paarl in the Western Cape on the Simondium (R45) road. The site is nestled between spectacular mountains and surrounded by orchards and vineyards. Our seasons are distinct, with cold, wet and stormy winters, dry and hot summers, fresh green springtimes and autumns dressed in the most vivid colours!

Our buildings and gardens are spread over 8 hectares, which gives us enough space to grow our own food, have unique and individual learning neighbourhoods, a communal area and sports field.

The buildings have been designed to allow for a calming, balanced, grounded environment in which children are always visually and emotionally connected to the natural landscape.

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Burwood Brickworks Shopping Centre, Middleborough Road, Burwood East VIC

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The project was designed to include elements that nurture the innate human-nature connection through engaging the whole project team in multiple all-day explorations of the biophilic design potential for the project. There was a huge focus on three key factors: the retail typology, the ecological systemic context, and the cultural history of the Country on which the project is located. It required multiple attempts to bring the team to an understanding that the object was to deliberately translate an understanding of the inherent human affinity to affiliate with natural systems and processes into the design, reflecting Kellert’s Elements and Attributes.

The first exploration included engaging a biophilic design consultant, and involved seeing other case studies in the area. Ahead of this, the project team researched cultural, ecological, and climatic studies that examined the site and context. An additional specialist consultant was required to progress their understanding of the aboriginal cultural history of the site, particularly because the land is contested between two communities. A further way of engaging with users beyond the project team was to host an event series in Frasers’ office, where all were freely invited – professionals and non-professionals – to engage with biophilic design and make suggestions for the project.

For the explorations, the team facilitated a number of design exercises both for individual project team members to consider in isolation and then in groups of otherwise less-connected project team members (e.g. pairing the hydraulic consultant with the finance assistant). Each strategy put forward was honed and explored more deeply before ideas were presented to the whole group. A smaller team that included the lead consultants, Contractor, and client workshopped separately to select and then integrate ideas into the project, with a focus on addressing all five human senses. These explorations were documented and drafted into a framework, and then a plan, which helped them to track progress and determine whether the framework and strategies were being properly implemented. These thoughts were also shared and summarised with new tenants coming into the building, and each were encouraged to engage with biophilic design within every one of their individual spaces. The biophilic design in this project is an ongoing piece of work that is very much alive. Several ideas are to be continuously tested and reviewed, and will evolve as necessary to get the best for the project.

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Brambuk the National Park & Cultural Centre, Grampians Road, Halls Gap VIC

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Brambuk the National Park & Cultural Centre, Grampians Road, Halls Gap VIC

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Brambuk the National Park & Cultural Centre, Grampians Road, Halls Gap VIC

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Melding of Indigenous Culture and the local landscape and ecology in this truly interactive building.

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Center For Maximum Potential, Farm to Market 969, Austin, TX, USA

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Center For Maximum Potential, Farm to Market 969, Austin, TX, USA

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Center For Maximum Potential, Farm to Market 969, Austin, TX, USA

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The Center designs and tests innovative programs that integrate air, water, food, energy, and material systems to build healthy and sustainable communities.  Through the creation of Protocols, Policies, and Prototypes, the Center inspires ecologically balanced environments, stewards natural resources, and elevates community resilience and economic vitality.

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Welcome to the
Center for Maximum Potential
Building Systems

The Center designs and tests innovative programs that integrate air, water, food, energy, and material systems to build healthy and sustainable communities.

Through the creation of Protocols, Policies, and Prototypes, the Center inspires ecologically balanced environments, stewards natural resources, and elevates community resilience and economic vitality.

Welcome to Serious Commotion!

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Center for Maximum Potential Building Systems

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The Center designs and tests innovative programs that integrate air, water, food, energy, and material systems to build healthy and sustainable communities.

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An atemporal monastery, sustainable, solidary and socially responsable, built to serve as a repository for winemaking. A place to contemplate without interest, forget about stress and problems and gain in emotional well-being.

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Two sensory gardens for the Atrium courtyards were planned for the new development of a nursing home for people with dementia. The gardens are designed according to biophilic principles, taking into account the visual connection to nature, non-visual connection, sensory issues, daily and  seasonal variations, light and shadow, shelter and open space, etc. Sensory gardens are accessible spaces  allowing both people with reduced mobility and those with visual impairments to safely become part of the nature experience. Most importantly for the safety of the residents, they will not get lost in the garden. ​

These biophilic sensory gardens will create their own micro climate in the future, with attention to safety and ease of care in material choices. Efforts have been made to select materials that are simple, easy to keep clean, safe for users and durable. Native plants where chosen that are familiar to the occupants from their childhood, fruit trees and berry bushes and other trees, bushes and plants chosen to fit harsh Finnish climate.

​

The purpose of sensory gardens is to be a natural extension of the interior. The gardens, with their abundance, entice you to get out. In this way, the population is physically activated and at the same time the mental well-being is affected. The sensory gardens bring value to everyday life not only to the residents and those who work there, but the outdoor spaces also add value to the building.

Will be completed in summer 2022.

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Project planning

Two sensory gardens for the Atrium courtyards were planned for the new development of a nursing home for people with dementia. The gardens are designed according to biophilic principles, taking into account the visual connection to nature, non-visual connection, sensory issues, daily and seasonal variations, light and shadow, shelter and open space, etc. Sensory gardens are accessible spaces allowing both people with reduced mobility and those with visual impairments to safely become part of the nature experience. Most importantly for the safety of the residents, they will not get lost in the garden. ​

​

Sensory gardens will create their own microclimate in the future, with attention to safety and ease of care in material choices. Efforts have been made to select materials that are simple, easy to keep clean, safe for users and durable.

​

The purpose of sensory gardens is to be a natural extension of the interior. The gardens, with their abundance, entice you to get out. In this way, the population is physically activated and at the same time the mental well-being is affected. The sensory gardens bring value to everyday life not only to the residents and those who work there, but the outdoor spaces also add value to the building.

Will be completed in summer 2022.

​

Client: Joensuun Kodit oy

Architect: Arcadia Oy Arkkitehtitoimisto

Gardens: Sensory Spaces Finland/Carita Ahonen

Contractor: Lapli Oy

​

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Project planning Two sensory gardens for the Atrium courtyards were planned for the new development of a nursing home for people with dementia. The gardens are designed according to biophilic principles, taking into account the visual connection to nature, non-visual connection, sensory issues, daily and seasonal variations, light and shadow, shelter and open space, etc.

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As in most Alvar Aalto architectures, nature plays a big role.

This is a very simple guest house. It is built in local and natural materials, with a prevalence of wood, which is so fitting for the location (Finland). It also emulates the finnish peasant house, exploring the possibilities of vernacular architecture. The building ties-in with the geomorphology of the place, which is even reflected in the internal raumplan of the lower level. Light floods the building, creating a changing balance of lights and shadows. The wooden staircase, open frame, allows light to travel throughout the space.

Aalto is tagged as a rationalist, a definition which comes along with a certain degree of negative connotations. He is much more than that, and his work as both a designer and architect deserves to be re-evaluated in terms of its dense biophilic character. His sense of place is exceptional.

For those willing to have a journey in this immense body of work, there is a truly amazing documentary released in 2020:
https://g.co/kgs/SUK7sK

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A collage of materials amongst the trunks of countless birch trees in the Finnish landscape, the Villa Mairea built by Alvar Aalto in 1939 is a significant dwelling that marks a transition from traditional to modern architecture. Built as a guest house and rural retreat for Harry and Maire Gullichsen, Aalto was given permission to experiment with his thoughts and styles, which becomes clear when studying the strangely cohesive residence.

The constant theme of a shifting and advancing technology is ever present in Aalto's design. The transformation of materials and therefore the experiences created by them form fences and then walls around and through the villa.

Starting at a shorter mound of compacted dirt rises a fence roughly woven together from long sticks. A regularity arises as it lengthens and the sticks become more directional and linear, until it merges with the wooden walls of the grass-roof sauna which continues on to form the roof of a outdoor space and walkway.

This same concept of a morphing technology continues throughout the house, as materials shift form a stone to stone slab to glass and steel in the winter garden room. From the front door to the inside of the house, the materiality of the floor also changes as it becomes progressively more domestic and intimate, from stone to tiles to timber boarding and rugs.

As it is placed in such an such a mesmerizing natural environment, Aalto used this to his advantage and designed with the intentions of blurring the lines between being inside or outdoors.

The verticality of the columns existing throughout the house and posts found by the staircase mimic the sea of birch trees that surround the house. Aalto purposely makes each column different, "to avoid all artificial architectural rhythms."

The main living area appears to open and close, which reproduces a similar experience as when walking through a forest.

A forest light shines through the undulating screen that forms the wall between the bookcase partitions of the library and the ceiling to further imitate the experience of being outdoors. Upon exiting out of the front door, one is submerged in a row of these columns, which are placed specifically by Aalto to emphasize the continuity found between the environment of both inside the villa and out.

Aalto fuses a modern open plan with the ghost of a traditional-style tupa, which is a large living room of a farmhouse in which poles from the ceiling to the ground mark the boundaries of areas created specifically for different activities. The basic L-shape of the floor plan is very characteristic of Scandinavian architects and is also found in his other house Munkkiniemi, another hint towards a more traditional style.

Juxtaposed against these rigid right angle forms that mark edges and boundaries of spaces and textures alike are wave-like forms which are considered by some as symbols of human freedom. Aalvo remarked that the "curving, living, unpredictable line which runs in dimensions unknown to mathematics is for me the incarnation of everything that forms a contrast to the modern world between brutal mechanicalness and religious beauty in life." This free-form is found throughout the house, from the shape of the swimming pool and balcony spaces to other smaller finer details, like the fireplace.

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Completed in 1939 in Noormarkku, Finland. A collage of materials amongst the trunks of countless birch trees in the Finnish landscape, the Villa Mairea built by Alvar Aalto in 1939 is a...

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Complete house in Belgium interior design with passion and using biophilic design

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From advice to decorate interiors, in design, furniture and style, we give shape to very innovative, creative and effective spaces that are comfortable to live and work.

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The charkha, Veer Nariman Road, near Parsee Well, Churchgate, Mumbai, Maharashtra, India

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The charkha, Veer Nariman Road, near Parsee Well, Churchgate, Mumbai, Maharashtra, India

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The charkha, Veer Nariman Road, near Parsee Well, Churchgate, Mumbai, Maharashtra, India

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designboom | architecture & design magazine

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drawing from the ‘spinning wheel’ symbol promoted by gandhi, the monument design illustrates contemporary india’s spectrum of social and cultural dimensions.

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Titan Bangalore New Office Electronic City, NTTF Hostel Road, Veer Sandra, Electronic City, Bengaluru, Karnataka, India

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Titan Bangalore New Office Electronic City, NTTF Hostel Road, Veer Sandra, Electronic City, Bengaluru, Karnataka, India

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Titan Bangalore New Office Electronic City, NTTF Hostel Road, Veer Sandra, Electronic City, Bengaluru, Karnataka, India

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Text description provided by the architects. Corporate office building is located on a 6.5acre site which has a lake on the eastern side and road towards north.
The design has a very special connect with the site and the adjoining lake. The idea is of exploiting every view possible to the lakeside makes any user a spectator of this serene setting.

A bio lake is conceived towards eastern side of the site which responds to the existing lake and would seem like an extension of it. Office building with all its ancillaries is proposed around this bio lake.Building is oriented with longer sides facing North - South to bring in glare free natural light. Porosity in planning and form allows continuous movement of breeze with wind tunnels creating venturi effect. Common areas are open and non-air conditioned.

The three-floor structure has terrace garden at every level .Free flowing Cascading green terraces which is reminiscent of rice fields, is connected through external staircases gives a feeling of elevated ground at each of these floors. These terraces also provide insulation to office spaces below thus reducing heat / AC load resonating to the idea of a sustainable building. Green terraces not only allow one to work outdoors, stimulate interaction amidst the flora and fauna but also offers trails for those who wish to enjoy leisurely walks. A walk along the proposed green walk path covers around 650 mts.Over the year's greenery on the receding terraces on either side of the lake would embrace the built making it a non-building. A green wall on the western side of the building shields the usable spaces from harsh western sun. Green buffer zone in between green wall and usable spaces further cuts off the radiation

Space Planning- Unifying Diversity of departments
Planning of the program is in such a way that each of the departments like Watches, jewellery, eye ware, accessories etc has its own zone but are yet connected to the other departments through voluminous atriums which brings in light and allows hot air to escape and houses lifts and staircases. The depth of office space is conceived in such a way that entire office space is enveloped with daylight as long as there is light outside thus minimizing use of artificial light. Artificial lighting is planned with light sensors and occupancy sensors.

The ground floor of the building is lifted by 2.7m.A wide inviting staircase along cascading water body leads one to the central spine which connects to the water body and greenery beyond, unfolding serenity. This element of surprise that changes as the atmosphere around changes has the effect of renewing our appreciation for it, so that it remains a recurrently delightful surprise to the senses. Water whether at rest or in motion, strokes human spirit. The reflection of the water takes over the central spine during early morning hours. Every movement of the water's rhythm can be seen on the ceiling. A beautiful game of movement, rhythm gives the space an extra dimension as it unfolds like a movie. By lifting the ground level there is a seamless connect between internal bio lake and external Veerasandra Lake making the edge of the boundary disappear.

The central spine along the clear water body edge is a linear double height space integrated with a series of wide steps, courtyards, product display walls, seating and informal meeting spaces. The spine culminates into an atrium leading to the dining block. Positioned along one edge of the serene water body, framing the greenery and water, one can dine either indoors or outdoors listening to the sounds of birds or sound of water. The dining block is designed in three levels to double up as a multipurpose hall.

A facated glazed crystal floating above the water along the central spine symbolising Titan's association with Jewellery was created. This was cocieved as a design department where the designers of the various departments would be seated together reflecting Ttan's strength of design edge and innovation. However as the design progressed this is converted to MD's cabin.The second floor is converted to a huddle / brain stroming space.

Atrium-Never feel disconnected , collaboration between departments
The five atriums in the campus vertically connect all the floors from basement bringing in natural light and creating sense of one community, togetherness and encouraging interaction between different departments.

Considering Bangalore weather conditions and since bio-Lake and green terraces creates an adequate micro-climate, we questioned requirement of Air-conditioning for offices. Another major challenge was "How to encourage employees to use terraces gardens as outdoor work spaces and for interaction?" which questioned requirement of AC which would result in completely sealed interior spaces. A two / three stage air conditioning system is planned to minimize energy consumption by 30% compared to conventional AC. This system which requires continual air movement is coupled with highly energy efficient HVLS fans (High Volume Low Speed) which consume about 20 Watt energy while producing 200% more air volume compared to a 60 W domestic ceiling fan. Third stage will be used only during high humid months.

Solar panels are planned above the terrace along the western side and above the service yard on the ground floor to generate on site energy to adhere to 25% of the energy requirement. The landscape design is conceived as a vertical park where each level is a green terrace starting from waterfront park at the ground level to the sky park at the roof level. Integrated with the dynamic architecture the landscape spaces seamlessly merge from outside to inside. On the whole Titan corporate office campus where the idea of a corporate office is reinterpreted seated amidst nature is designed to inspire and elevate experience of the end users.

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Text description provided by the architects. Corporate office building is located on a 6.5acre site which has a lake on the eastern side and road towards north.The design has a very special connect with the site and the adjoining lake. The idea is of exploiting every view possible to the lakeside makes any user a spectator of this serene setting.

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Lake Palace hotel, Pichola, Udaipur, Rajasthan, India

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Lake Palace hotel, Pichola, Udaipur, Rajasthan, India

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Lake Palace hotel, Pichola, Udaipur, Rajasthan, India

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The hotel is like a mangrove swamp in the lake!

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A collaborative conversation, lead by Kathy Zarsky of Biomimicry Texas, and the architectural design team at Webber Studio informed this biophilic endeavor. Ardor Wood Farm's Butterfly Cottage is inspired by Terrapin Bright Green's biophilic design patterns and the LBC mission.

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4.98 · 114 reviews · Red Rock, Texas, United States

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Farm stay hosted by Graham

2 guests

· 1 bedroom

· 1 bed

· 1 bath

100% of recent guests gave the location a 5-star rating.

Great check-in experience

100% of recent guests gave the check-in process a 5-star rating.

Graham has received 5-star ratings from 95% of recent guests.

PERFECT ESCAPE for a private retreat, date weekend or COTA F1 race. Our lovingly curated biophilic cottage is set on 67 private acres. Pristine natural setting - one of a kind - takes your breath away! (Sorry ... ABSOLUTELY NO DOGS, only in the Campgrounds.) Located 20 miles from the F1 track & equidistant to the best TX BBQ in Lockhart or charming downtown Bastrop. 20-30 minutes to everything!
Additionally, enjoy walks on the beautiful Abingdon Labyrinth https://labyrinthlocator.com/

The space
This Biophilic cottage is designed In collaboration with nature. It is situated in the heart of Ardor Wood Farm, an oasis for wildlife.

While at the farm you may also visit with our delightful Nigerian Dwarf goats, chickens and longhorns. This is a place where friends, family and nature strive to live together in harmony. We work with the National Resource Conservation Service (NRCS) on projects to improve the land and wildlife.

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4.98 out of 5 stars from 114 reviews

Red Rock, Texas, United States

Our gate is located at the end of a 1 mile private stretch of sand road. Motorcycles are not appropriate to make the trip. The farm is located equi-distant to the wonderful communities of Bastrop and Lockhart with easy access to explore these quaint Texas towns.

During your stay

By prior arrangement (priced based on group size and time commitment) we are happy to arrange experiences of interest: apiary care (honey bees), bird house building, beer making, etc. Suggestions are welcome on what you'd like to learn how to make!

By prior arrangement (priced based on group size and time commitment) we are happy to arrange experiences of interest: apiary care (honey bees), bird house building, beer making,... read more

To protect your payment, never transfer money or communicate outside of the Airbnb website or app.

Health & safety

Committed to Airbnb's enhanced cleaning process. Show more

Explore other options in and around Red Rock

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Butterfly Cottage near COTA F1, Lockhart & Bastrop - Farm stays for Rent in Red Rock, Texas, United States

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4.98 · 114 reviews · Red Rock, Texas, United States loading Check availability Farm stay hosted by Graham 2 guests · 1 bedroom · 1 bed · 1 bath 100% of recent guests gave the location a 5-star rating. Great check-in experience 100% of recent guests gave the check-in process a 5-star rating.

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Morning Glory, West Date Street, San Diego, CA, USA

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Morning Glory, West Date Street, San Diego, CA, USA

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Morning Glory, West Date Street, San Diego, CA, USA

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Amazing interiors, with so many biophilic textures, forms and patterns

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Basílica de la Sagrada Família, Carrer de Mallorca, Barcelona, Spain

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Basílica de la Sagrada Família, Carrer de Mallorca, Barcelona, Spain

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Basílica de la Sagrada Família, Carrer de Mallorca, Barcelona, Spain

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The Sagrada Familia was one of the first places where I could feel the difference between a visually dynamic space and how lacking most buildings are in this regard.

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1900 Market Street, Philadelphia, PA, USA

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1900 Market Street, Philadelphia, PA, USA

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1900 Market Street, Philadelphia, PA, USA

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Located at the corner of 19th & Market Streets, 1900 Market is in Philadelphia's prime corporate and institutional corridor in the Central Business District. Originally built in 1981, 1900 Market has just recently gone through its second renovation in the last 35 years. Brandywine Realty Trust has invested $25 million into renovating the lobby, courtyard, and building common areas, providing our tenants with the high-quality occupancy they deserve. From a koi pond to porcelain ceramic tile to interior executive parking, 1900 Market possesses the exceptional elements that make it a Class A building.

Soaring eight story glass atrium, filling lobby and tenant space with an abundance of natural light

Column-free floor plates, providing maximum efficiency

LEED Certified, and Energy Star rated.

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Located at the corner of 19th & Market Streets, 1900 Market is in Philadelphia's prime corporate and institutional corridor in the Central Business District. Originally built in 1981, 1900 Market has just recently gone through its second renovation in the last 35 years.

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Peck Seah Street, Oasia Hotel Downtown, Singapore

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Peck Seah Street, Oasia Hotel Downtown, Singapore

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Peck Seah Street, Oasia Hotel Downtown, Singapore

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Living facade and green lungs for downtown Singapore

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'Marie Short / Glenn Murcutt House',             Beranghi Road, Crescent Head, New South Wales, 2440, Australia

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'Marie Short / Glenn Murcutt House',             Beranghi Road, Crescent Head, New South Wales, 2440, Australia

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'Marie Short / Glenn Murcutt House', Kempsey, New South Wales, Australia : 1974-75 / 1980.

Designed in 1974-5 by Glenn Murcutt, Pritzker Architecture Prize Laureate 2002, for his client, Marie Short and then purchased and adapted in 1980 to become his own house.

https://www.ozetecture.org/marie-short-glenn-murcutt-house

The house is located on a large property at the end of Beranghi Road, Crescent Head, NSW, Australia.

The house itself can be seen on Google Maps between the Maria River and a large dam on the property at the very end of Beranghi Road.

Nominated by Timothy J M Williams

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Made of local limestone, in the midst of a Nature Protected area

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On an artificial mound in a landscape that was once quarried for gravel, a 12-metre observation tower looms over the rural vistas. It has been constructed using the rammed earth technique. The client wished to create a place in this new nature reserve that fosters meaningful relationships with the surroundings: allowing people to feel as though they are in the middle of nowhere, for example, while still being within walking distance from the inhabited world. The triangular ground plan of the tower was determined by the views selected by the architects. The rammed earth technique draws upon local materials and traditions, thereby strengthening the tower's relationship with the surrounding landscape. In association with international experts (including BC Architects & Studies from Brussels), the architects constructed the first contemporary, public rammed earth structure in Belgium. Seven concrete staircases and landings are supported by a concrete core and by the earthen outer walls, which are made from locally-extracted soil, gravel and sand. As a result of its exposure to wind and weather, the walls with gradually erode. The Maas Valley gravel in the walls will become more pronounced and lend the tower a unique surface structure.

Bart Tritsmans
This project is published in Flanders Architectural Review N°13. This Is a Mustard Factory

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On an artificial mound in a landscape that was once quarried for gravel, a 12-metre observation tower looms over the rural vistas. It has been constructed using the rammed earth technique.

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The exterior of the building design is guided by the Golden Ratio and inspired by Italian architecture roots while fitting into the local, historical surroundings.

The structure is made from beautiful mass timber and cross-laminated timber (CLT).

Urban farming on the fifth floor "deckony" with two large agriculture beds available for food production.

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Harpa Concert Hall and Conference Centre

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Harpa Concert Hall and Conference Centre

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Björk’s Biophilia educational project – a large-scale pilot that draws together scientists, artists, academics and children in an exploration of music – is based here at the Harpa Concert Hall and Conference Centre in Reykjavik. It gathers inspiration from the northern lights and the dramatic Icelandic scenery.

Situated on the border between land and sea, the Centre stands out as a large, radiant sculpture reflecting both sky and harbour space as well as the vibrant life of the city.

Read more.

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Serenbe Community, Selborne Lane, Chattahoochee Hills, GA, USA

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Serenbe Community, Selborne Lane, Chattahoochee Hills, GA, USA

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Serenbe Community, Selborne Lane, Chattahoochee Hills, GA, USA

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The entire town/hamlet of Serenbe is built with biophilic design in mind. It is a place that is deeply connection to nature, therefore one another.

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The best reason to live here is the life here. Serenbe is a pioneering community model connected to nature on the edge of Atlanta.

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Biophilia Living Lab @ Zurich University of Applied Sciences, Institute of Facility Management 

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Biophilia Living Lab @ Zurich University of Applied Sciences, Institute of Facility Management 

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Biophilia Living Lab @ Zurich University of Applied Sciences, Institute of Facility Management (https://www.zhaw.ch/de/lsfm/institute-zentren/ifm/ueber-uns/betriebsoekonomiehuman-resources/workplace-management/biophilia-living-lab/)

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Tennessee Valley Federal Credit Union (TVFCU) Building

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Tennessee Valley Federal Credit Union (TVFCU) Building

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Tennessee Valley Federal Credit Union (TVFCU) Building

Completion Date: April 2021
Building Square Feet? 8,000
Façade Area? 6600 SF

The TVFCU Bank project was nearing the end of the design development phase when Branch was approached to be involved with the project. After conceiving the floorplan and teller stations within the building as a way to rethink the traditional modes of banking, it was the bank who suggested cladding the building with BranchClad panels. The building’s massing and fenestration were determined and Branch was asked to develop a series of design options for the building’s cladding. The primary focus of Branch’s approach to the project was to create a sculptural macrographic across the facade. The surface topology was based on curves found in the mountains and rivers in and around Chattanooga - both prominent features of the City. An algorithm was used to translate initial input curves into a continuous surface of scalloped faces and swage lines. This formal surface became the outer skin of the facade panels and was subdivided into rectangular panels, responding to the building’s fenestration.

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Robie House, South Woodlawn Avenue, Chicago, IL, USA

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Robie House, South Woodlawn Avenue, Chicago, IL, USA

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Robie House, South Woodlawn Avenue, Chicago, IL, USA

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Robie House by F.L. Wright in Illinois (Chicago), built in Prairie style, is still considered one of the best examples of mystery as it does not reveal the main entry in any of its elevations and creates an intriguing interest for visitors. The long overhanging shading creates dark shadows and adds to the mystery of the design.

Read more here: https://www.researchgate.net/figure/Robie-House-by-FL-Wright-in-Illinois-Chicago-built-in-Prairie-style-is-still_fig8_345763051

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Kendeda Building, Ferst Drive Northwest, Atlanta, GA, USA

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Kendeda Building, Ferst Drive Northwest, Atlanta, GA, USA

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Kendeda Building, Ferst Drive Northwest, Atlanta, GA, USA

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Georgia Tech’s Biophilia Charrette for the Kendeda Building took place over two days in September of 2016. Participants explored how the unique site, culture, and natural history of the site could influence building design. As a result of the charrette and other discussions, the Kendeda Building’s exposed wood helps provide a visual connection to the natural world. Large windows and glass walls on the west side of the building provide a visual connection to future greenspace (Eco-Commons), and a rooftop garden with apiaries (beehives), pollinator plants, and blueberry bushes provides an area of respite.

Read more here: https://livingbuilding.gatech.edu/health-happiness-petal

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Fallingwater, Mill Run Road, Mill Run, PA, USA

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Based on the 14 patterns of Biophilic design enumerated, it is concluded that The Falling Water House
conforms to the principles of Biophilic design. 13 patterns are identified in this building and every of the spaces
created a connection to nature either directly or indirectly. Frank Lloyd Wright understood that people were
creatures of nature and designed falling waters such that it is so intertwined with nature that it entertains over 5
million visitors every year; that is because people want to see, interact and experience nature in a built space.
Living in a building as such can improve health and wellbeing; it can reduce stress, improve cognitive function and attention; improve mental fatigue, productivity and creativity and overall, make you feel good. So then we
must make it a priority to incorporate Biophilic design elements into our buildings.

Read more here: https://www.iosrjournals.org/iosr-jestft/papers/Vol14-Issue4/Series-2/B1404020615.pdf

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Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens, Schenley Drive, Pittsburgh, PA, USA

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Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens

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Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens

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Above all else, the promise of beauty is what draws visitors to a public garden. For the past 120 years, Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens has excelled in showcasing beauty. Today, this history of excellence serves as a platform to demonstrate that humans and the natural world are inextricably linked, and that sustainable action is the key to ensuring that critical interconnections are preserved for future generations.

A steep, 30 foot drop in elevation from the existing campus to lower level of the building provided the opportunity to create a green roof on the building that is directly accessible from the existing adjacent terraces, thus blurring the relationship between building construction (roof) and garden landscapes (ground). The building responds to the gardens with a three-story conservatory-type atrium that connects to the gardens. The commitment to best practices in design matches the institutional commitment to pursue environmental awareness. The synthesis of these processes leads to an extraordinary solution and a project that will engage the public for years to come.

Read more here: https://living-future.org/lbc/case-studies/phipps-center-for-sustainable-landscapes/

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Kampung Admiralty is Singapore’s first building to bring together a mix of public facilities and services under one roof. The traditional approach is for each government agency to have their own plot of land, resulting in standalone buildings. This one-stop integrated complex maximises land use and the benefits of co-location, and is a prototype for meeting the needs of Singapore’s ageing population.

The compact site, adjacent to a train station in medium-rise public housing area, prompted a layered ‘club sandwich’ approach. The result is a “Vertical Kampung (village)”, with a Community Plaza sheltered by a Medical Centre supporting a rooftop Community Park overlooked by apartments for seniors. These three distinct layers juxtapose the various building uses to foster diversity of cross-programming and frees up the ground level for activity generators. The proximity to healthcare, social, commercial and other amenities support inter-generational bonding and promote active ageing in place. The development has proven extremely popular, and was used as the backdrop for the Prime Minister’s 2018 National Day address, as a visual embodiment of Singapore’s aspirations for a more caring community environment.

Source: https://woha.net/project/kampung-admiralty/

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Hoornseweg 31A, 1775 RB Middenmeer, Netherlands

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Biophilic Dental Practice, Mondzorg Middenmeer

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Biophilic Dental Practice, Mondzorg Middenmeer

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--- Finalist 2021 Stephen R. Kellert Biophilic Design Award ---

The design of the dental practice by ORGA focuses on the experience of the patient. By introducing biophilic elements and linking spaces to nature through materials, imagery and sightlines, the time that patients spend in the clinic has been made more pleasant.

Visiting patients are met by a bright and spacious waiting room. A curving corridor bathing in daylight from the fully transparent glass wall brings them to the treatment rooms. When seated in the dentist’s chair patients can look out across the typically flat Dutch landscape.

One of the main design principles was enabling patients to experience the long view, the weather and the natural surroundings from the treatment room. The window frames to the outside have been aligned specifically for this purpose.

A dozen images of animals from the Dutch countryside have been hidden throughout the public area. Younger patients are offered the challenge of finding them all

while they wait for their appointment, often a welcome distraction from any anxiety they might be feeling about their treatment.

The dental practice has been in use for some years now receiving a lot of positive feedback. The dentist finds his patients to be more at ease. Compared to his former

practice he is able to treat multiple additional patients per treatment room per day, while offering the same amount of attention and care to each of them.

Patients view and experience many facets of nature from the interior of the practice

Daylight penetrates the interior from many angles

The gallery offers patients a wide view of the landscape and a stream of water

Strength and hue of artificial lighting adapts to the functions of the spaces

Timber framed construction with wooden finishing and bio based insulation

The building runs on 100% renewable energy

Building has a surprising, slightly bend shape

Rhythmic order of wooden columns and frames

A total of 51.000 kg of CO2 is sequestered in the construction materials used

Trees on the south side provide shade in the summer and rich colours in the autumn

Cleverly placed animal imagery throughout the building for the entertainment (and distraction) of younger patients.

For more info & images: https://www.orga-architect.nl/projecten/tandartspraktijk/

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Vail Health Hospital, South Frontage Road West, Vail, CO, USA

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Vail Health Hospital, South Frontage Road West, Vail, CO, USA

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Vail Health Hospital, South Frontage Road West, Vail, CO, USA

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Knowing the importance of Biophilic Design in healthcare settings – the team incorporated opportunities for daylighting whenever feasible. The lobby spaces have daylight and views creating a visual connection to nature within the beautiful Vail Valley. In spaces where it was more difficult to bring in nature, images of nature were utilized to create a visual connection with nature for a calming effect for procedures that can be stress inducing. Images of nature were included throughout the facility to create a connection to place and to promote a more serene environment. In order to create a material connection with nature – the use of wood and natural stone is seen throughout the design. The wood ceilings were design to create both complexity and order – complexity in their shape as they wined through a space but order in their design and clean lines. Prospect and refuge were also strategies incorporated by the team – Prospect is evident in the rooftop patios and refuge areas were created within lobbies where individuals may want to pull away and have quiet spaces or to have a view of a doctor approaching.

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Belize zoo feels like a biophilic fence has simply and sensitively been placed in the natural habitat, which means the animals are happy and well-camouflaged. The signage is biophilic in shape and written like it's the animals introducing themselves. A beautiful natural experience.

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Building relationships between people and the natural world to demonstrate the power of working together for the planet's benefit.

Eden's Mission:
We are an educational charity and social enterprise. Our global mission is to create a movement that builds relationships between people and the natural world to demonstrate the power of working together for the benefit of all living things.

Twenty years ago, a group of us transformed a china clay pit in Cornwall into a living theatre of plants and people. This visitor destination, cultural venue and global garden showcases our dependence on plants and demonstrates technological ingenuity and the regeneration of landscapes and livelihoods. It was our first ‘shop window’ for the future we want to make.

Today we are a growing movement, working on and developing projects locally, nationally and internationally. Our work is underpinned by the understanding that we need to live with the grain of nature and that everything is interconnected. What we do to the Earth we do to ourselves – let’s treasure and support a world we want to live in. Join us.

Read more here: https://www.edenproject.com/mission

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Grow Community is a green built sustainable community with net zero living, shared gardens, and healthy indoor environments.

This One Planet Community is a ferry ride away from Seattle and is offering its residents a healthier, happier and greener way to live. 131 homes have been built in line with a sustainability action plan based on the ten One Planet Living principles. The emphasis is on creating a compact, neighbourly community with plenty of shared green space and essential services and facilities all a short walk or cycle ride away. Grow Community is in stark contrast to the car-dependent suburbia and huge homes found across the USA.

Read more here: https://growbainbridge.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/Grow-Community-Verification-Report-2014-2015.pdf

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Live in a truly intergenerational community where connections are valued and relationships nourished, where shared gardens and inviting green spaces unite neighbor with neighbor, unite you with the environment.

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Grow Community Bainbridge | Net Zero Living

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Grow Community is a new urban neighborhood on Bainbridge Island, just a 35-minute ferry ride from downtown Seattle. With beautifully designed solar-powered homes, shared community gardens and clean transportation options, Grow allows all generations to enjoy a high-quality and healthy lifestyle.

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Passeig de Gràcia, 43, Barcelona, Spanje

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It is a cliché but Gaudi is still my favourite architect for biophilic design. Visit this house and you will the fantastic design inspired by nature. Nowadays the forms he used we call biomycrici, biophilic, whatever...his design is eternally good and so, for me, Gaudi was a genius convincing the investers to build these unique buildings with lots of craftsmanship...that, for me, is love of life!

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(Catalan pronunciation: [ˈkazəβəˈʎːo]) is a building in the center of Barcelona, Spain. It was designed by Antoni Gaudí, and is considered one of his masterpieces. A remodel of a previously built house, it was redesigned in 1904 by Gaudí and has been refurbished several times after that. Gaudí's assistants Domènec Sugrañes i Gras, Josep Canaleta and Joan Rubió also contributed to the renovation project.

The local name for the building is (House of Bones), as it has a visceral, skeletal organic quality. It is located on the in the Eixample district, and forms part of a row of houses known as the (or Mansana de la Discòrdia , the "Block of Discord"), which consists of four buildings by noted architects of Barcelona.

Like everything Gaudí designed, Casa Batlló is only identifiable as Modernisme in the broadest sense. The ground floor, in particular, has unusual tracery, irregular oval windows and flowing sculpted stone work. There are few straight lines, and much of the façade is decorated with a colorful mosaic made of broken ceramic tiles (trencadís). The roof is arched and was likened to the back of a dragon or dinosaur. A common theory about the building is that the rounded feature to the left of centre, terminating at the top in a turret and cross, represents the lance of Saint George (patron saint of Catalonia, Gaudí's home), which has been plunged into the back of the dragon.

In 2005, Casa Batlló became an UNESCO World Heritage Site among the other Works of Antoni Gaudí, and is visited by people from around the world.

The building that is now Casa Batlló was built in 1877, commissioned by Lluís Sala Sánchez. It was a classical building without remarkable characteristics within the eclecticism traditional by the end of the 19th century. The building had a basement, a ground floor, four other floors and a garden in the back.

The house was bought by Josep Batlló in 1903. The design of the house made the home undesirable to buyers but the Batlló family decided to buy the place due to its centralized location. It is located in the middle of , which in the early 20th century was known as a very prestigious and fashionable area. It was an area where the prestigious family could draw attention to themselves.

In 1906, Josep Batlló still owned the home. The Batlló family was very well known in Barcelona for its contribution to the textile industry in the city. Mr. Josep Batlló i Casanovas was a textile industrialist who owned a few factories in the city. Mr. Batlló married Amàlia Godó Belaunzarán, from the family that founded the newspaper La Vanguardia. Josep wanted an architect that would design a house that was like no other and stood out as being audacious and creative. Both Josep and his wife were open to anything and they decided not to limit Gaudí. Josep did not want his house to resemble any of the houses of the rest of the Batlló family, such as Casa Pía, built by the Josep Vilaseca. He chose the architect who had designed Park Güell because he wanted him to come up with a risky plan. The family lived on the principal floor of Casa Batlló until the middle of the 1950s.

In 1904, Josep Batlló hired Gaudí to design his home; at first his plans were to tear down the building and construct a completely new house. Gaudí convinced Josep that a renovation was sufficient and was also able to submit the planning application the same year. The building was completed and refurbished in 1906. He completely changed the main apartment which became the residence for the Batlló family. He expanded the central well in order to supply light to the whole building and also added new floors. In the same year the Barcelona City Council selected the house as a candidate for that year's best building award. The award was given to another architect that year despite Gaudí's design.

Josep Batlló died in 1934 and the house was kept in order by the wife until her death in 1940. After the death of the two parents, the house was kept and managed by the children until 1954. In 1954, an insurance company named Seguros Iberia acquired Casa Batlló and set up offices there. In 1970, the first refurbishment occurred mainly in several of the interior rooms of the house. In 1983, the exterior balconies were restored to their original colour and a year later the exterior façade was illuminated in the ceremony of La Mercè.

In 1993, the current owners of Casa Batlló bought the home and continued refurbishments throughout the whole building. Two years later, in 1995, Casa Batlló began to hire out its facilities for different events. More than 2,500 square meters of rooms within the building were rented out for many different functions. Due to the building's location and the beauty of the facilities being rented, the rooms of Casa Batlló were in very high demand and hosted many important events for the city.

Casa Batlló fireplace seat

The local name for the building is Casa dels ossos (House of Bones), as it has a visceral, skeletal organic quality. The building looks very remarkable - like everything Gaudí designed, only identifiable as Modernisme or Art Nouveau in the broadest sense. The ground floor, in particular, is rather astonishing with tracery, irregular oval windows and flowing sculpted stone work.

It seems that the goal of the designer was to avoid straight lines completely. Much of the façade is decorated with a mosaic made of broken ceramic tiles ( trencadís) that starts in shades of golden orange moving into greenish blues. The roof is arched and was likened to the back of a dragon or dinosaur. A common theory about the building is that the rounded feature to the left of centre, terminating at the top in a turret and cross, represents the lance of Saint George (patron saint of Catalonia, Gaudí's home), which has been plunged into the back of the dragon.[citation needed ]

The loft, originally a service area, has sixty catenary arches

The loft is considered to be one of the most unusual spaces. It was formerly a service area for the tenants of the different apartments in the building which contained laundry rooms and storage areas. It is known for its simplicity of shapes and its Mediterranean influence through the use of white on the walls. It contains a series of sixty catenary arches that creates a space which represents the ribcage of an animal. Some people believe that the "ribcage" design of the arches is a ribcage for the dragon's spine that is represented in the roof.

The noble floor is larger than seven-hundred square meters. It is the main floor of the building. The noble floor is accessed through a private entrance hall that utilizes skylights resembling tortoise shells and vaulted walls in curving shapes. On the noble floor, there is a spacious landing with direct views to the blue tiling of the building well. On the Passeig de Gracia side is Mr. Batlló's study, a dining room, and a secluded spot for courting couples, decorated with a mushroom-shaped fireplace. The elaborate and animal-like décor continues throughout the whole noble floor.

In 2002, the house opened its doors to the public, and people were allowed to visit the noble floor. The building was opened to the public as part of the celebration of the International Year of Gaudí. Casa Batlló met with very much unanticipated success, and visitors became eager to see the rest of the house. Two years later, in celebration of the one hundredth anniversary of the beginning of work on Casa Batlló, the fifth floor was restored and the house extended its visit to the loft and the well. In 2005, Casa Batlló became a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

The roof terrace is one of the most popular features of the entire house due to its famous dragon back design. Gaudí represents an animal's spine by using tiles of different colors on one side. The roof is decorated with four chimney stacks, that are designed to prevent backdraughts.

The façade has three distinct sections which are harmoniously integrated. The lower ground floor with the main floor and two first-floor galleries are contained in a structure of Montjuïc sandstone with undulating lines. The central part, which reaches the last floor, is a multicolored section with protruding balconies. The top of the building is a crown, like a huge gable, which is at the same level as the roof and helps to conceal the room where there used to be water tanks. This room is currently empty. The top displays a trim with ceramic pieces that has attracted multiple interpretations.

The roof's arched profile recalls the spine of a dragon with ceramic tiles for scales, and a small triangular window towards the right of the structure simulates the eye. Legend has it that it was once possible to see the Sagrada Família through this window, which was being built simultaneously. As of 2022, the partial view of the Sagrada Família is available from this vantage point, with its spires visible over newer buildings. The tiles were given a metallic sheen to simulate the varying scales of the monster, with the color grading from green on the right side, where the head begins, to deep blue and violet in the center, to red and pink on the left side of the building.

One of the highlights of the façade is a tower topped with a cross of four arms oriented to the cardinal directions. It is a bulbous, root-like structure that evokes plant life. There is a second bulb-shaped structure similarly reminiscent of a thalamus flower, which is represented by a cross with arms that are actually buds announcing the next flowering. The tower is decorated with monograms of Jesus (JHS), Maria (M with the ducal crown) and Joseph (JHP), made of ceramic pieces that stand out golden on the green background that covers the façade. These symbols show the deep religiosity of Gaudí, who was inspired by the contemporaneous construction of his basilica to choose the theme of the holy family.

The bulb was broken when it was delivered, perhaps during transportation. Although the manufacturer committed to re-do the broken parts, Gaudí liked the aesthetic of the broken masonry and asked that the pieces be stuck to the main structure with lime mortar and held in with a brass ring.

The central part of the façade evokes the surface of a lake with water lilies, reminiscent of Monet's , with gentle ripples and reflections caused by the glass and ceramic mosaic. It is a great undulating surface covered with plaster fragments of colored glass discs combined with 330 rounds of polychrome pottery. The discs were designed by Gaudí and Jujol between tests during their stay in Majorca, while working on the restoration of the Cathedral of Palma.

Finally, above the central part of the façade is a smaller balcony, also iron, with a different exterior aesthetic, closer to a local type of lily. Two iron arms were installed here to support a pulley to raise and lower furniture.

The façade of the main floor, made entirely in sandstone, and is supported by two columns. The design is complemented by joinery windows set with multicolored stained glass. In front of the large windows, as if they were pillars that support the complex stone structure, there are six fine columns that seem to simulate the bones of a limb, with an apparent central articulation; in fact, this is a floral decoration. The rounded shapes of the gaps and the lip-like edges carved into the stone surrounding them create a semblance of a fully open mouth, for which the Casa Batlló has been nicknamed the "house of yawns". The structure repeats on the first floor and in the design of two windows at the ends forming galleries, but on the large central window there are two balconies as described above.

Bassegoda Nonell, Joan (17 December 1971), "La obra de restauracion de Gaudí i Jujol en la catedral de Palma de Mallorca", La Vanguardia (in Catalan), p. 31

Bassegoda Nonell, Joan (26 August 1981), "75 aniversario de la casa Batlló: recuperación de un espacio gaudiniano" (PDF), La Vanguardia (in Catalan)

Bassegoda i Nonell, Joan (2001). Los jardines de Gaudí (in Spanish). Edicions UPC. ISBN 9788483015384.

Bassegoda i Nonell, Joan (2001b). La Casa Butlló (in Spanish). Barcelona: Publicaciones de la Real Cátedra Gaudí.

Lahuerta, Juan José (2001), Casa Batlló, Barcelona, Gaudí, Pere Vivas i Ricard Pla, photographer, Triangle Postals, ISBN 978-84-8478-025-0

Illa de la Discòrdia

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(Catalan pronunciation: [ˈkazəβəˈʎːo]) is a building in the center of Barcelona, Spain. It was designed by Antoni Gaudí, and is considered one of his masterpieces. A remodel of a previously built house, it was redesigned in 1904 by Gaudí and has been refurbished several times after that.

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Rivergum Residential Treatment Centre is a correctional facility for post-sentence, at risk offenders. With the focus of providing a therapeutic and rehabilitative space, biophilic design elements of natural materials and connection to nature were utilised. From every room within the centre, there are views through a translucent perimeter fence to the mountains visible from the site. The translucency of the fence is created by a perforated metal, with the perforations creating a collage of trees from the site.

The main building, pictured, contains a courtyard in the middle to maintain access for natural daylighting to all spaces for both staff and residents of the centre. The ground floor utilises thermal mass in lieu of mechanical systems, and both floors are designed to allow for natural ventilation with motorized louvres to control heating and cooling.

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California Academy of Sciences, Music Concourse Drive, San Francisco, CA, USA

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Working with the Academy’s Board of Trustees, major donors, and the design team, Bill Browning and his team at the Rocky Mountain Institute pushed for design strategies and solutions that would reinforce the Academy’s mission “to explore, explain, and protect the natural world.” Key strategies for sustainable design included daylighting and natural ventilation of the Academy’s main pavilion, which was conceived of as an integral part of Golden Gate Park, the natural area surrounding the site. Using a holistic approach that ranged from planning decisions to exhibit design, the building was able to achieve excellent energy efficiency despite the diversity of spaces and exhibits.

The building’s sustainable design solutions merge environmental performance with human comfort and a strong sense of place. For example, the building’s extensive green roof not only insulates the building, but also mimics the dune ecosystem that would have occupied the site 150 years ago, at the time of the Academy’s founding. With a form developed using computational fluid dynamics, the green roof is both functional and a defining aesthetic element of the project.

Read more: https://www.terrapinbrightgreen.com/blog/2009/03/california-academy-sciences/

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1 Hotel Brooklyn Bridge, Furman Street, Brooklyn, Nueva York, EE. UU.

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1 Hotel Brooklyn Bridge, Furman Street, Brooklyn, Nueva York, EE. UU.

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1 Hotel Brooklyn Bridge, Furman Street, Brooklyn, Nueva York, EE. UU.

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One of the project’s primary interior design strategies is to use natural and highly tactile materials that are relevant to the locale, as well as those that reference natural processes. Drawing inspiration from the history of Brooklyn’s waterfront, the project uses salvaged and weathered woods throughout.

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Inaugurated in 1992, this tropical garden, framed by an iron and glass structure, occupies the old passenger building at Atocha station.

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Brock Environmental Center - Chesapeake Bay Foundation, Marlin Bay Drive, Virginia Beach, VA, USA

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Recognition of biophilia, or the inherent human affinity for our natural world, was a part of the Brock Center design from the earliest sketches right up to the time when the final coats of paint were applied. For guidance, the design team paid heed to Dr. Stephen R. Kellert’s Six Principles of Biophilic Design. Although it is easy to experience the elegant natural design elements of the Brock Center and intuit that it is informed by the philosophy of biophilia, it is also possible to identify specific features by Kellert’s biophilic design categories:

ENVIRONMENTAL FEATURES:

Elements include the use of color and natural materials, and the incorporation and enhancement of views and vistas. Before choosing colors for the building, the design team studied photographs of the site during different seasons. The Brock Center’s palette complements and mimics these natural color schemes, which include the blues of The Chesapeake Bay, the green of Loblolly Pine needles, the straw blond of salt meadow plants, and the rusty orange of resident marsh grasses. Many of the building’s features work together to enhance views and encourage visitors to connect with the landscape. These features include the building’s long form, abundant windows, elevated grade and its orientation on the site.

NATURAL SHAPES AND FORMS:

The Brock Center incorporates natural shapes and forms inside and outside the building, and on the macro and micro scales. The entire building was designed to resemble an animal; in particular, the conference room, with its curved roof, hints at the terrapin’s shell, a gull’s wings, and an oyster’s shell; the overlapping zinc shingles resemble fish scales. The interior vaulted space curves, and the beams recall the curving limbs of live oaks that grow on the site.

NATURAL PATTERNS AND PROCESSES:

This category includes natural patterns on different scales, called fractals, and elements that suggest the passage of time, among others. In the Brock Center, the inward-spiraling pattern in the conference room flooring creates a central focal point and makes a complicated room cohesive. Similarly, the diagonal flooring pattern in the lobby and open office areas help integrate the different parts of the building into a unified whole.

LIGHT AND SPACE:

The many windows, abundant natural light and high ceilings in the office area and conference room create feelings of spaciousness and evoke a natural environment. In contrast, the lower ceilings of the corridor, combined with the continuous curve, direct attention out the windows. The dog trot—essentially an outdoor room within the building mass— serves as a transition space between indoors and outdoors. “The biggest compliment that we get about the building is that it feels so comfortable. Whether that’s because of the choice of paints or the curves, nothing feels sterile or like a ‘normal’ office building. Every aspect of the building has a bit of fun in it.”

HOW IS THE BROCK CENTER LIKE AN OYSTER?

The design team admired the native oyster not just for its pleasing physical form, but for its functions, which are so vital for the health and water quality of The Chesapeake Bay, and which matched many of the goals for how the Brock Center would function. This approach marries biophilia with biomimicry—the practice of taking cues from natural forms and processes to create better buildings, materials, and products that are nontoxic, low energy and do not produce waste. Here are some of the characteristics of oysters that the design team looked to for inspiration:

Oysters are tolerant organisms, able to withstand wide variations in temperature.

Oysters provide valuable shelter and habitat for many other estuarine organisms.

Oysters filter the water and remove sediment, improving water quality.

Oysters stabilize the bottom and buffer the shoreline from erosion.

Oysters transform trash into treasure by encapsulating irritants and turning them into pearls. •

Oysters open and close for protection, responding to environmental conditions.

PLACE-BASED RELATIONSHIPS:

The siting and form of the Brock Center pays close attention to the site. The building’s horizontality reflects the topography, with its low-growing marsh grasses and uninterrupted views of the water and sky, and its gentle curve mimics the shoreline. The Brock Center also pays homage to historic and indigenous structures, including longhouses, which are characterized by their long form, vaulted space, and overall simplicity. The Brock Center also draws from the plantation houses of European settlers, notable for their elevated structure and wrapping porches, and from Southern dog-trot houses, which utilize a central breezeway to unite public and private spaces.

EVOLVED HUMAN-NATURE RELATIONSHIPS:

This final category includes concepts such as prospect and refuge; exploration and discovery; and affection and attachment. The Brock Center addresses many of these functions simultaneously. The physical approach to the Center decouples humans from their cars; the peaceful, forested environment creates a literal physical transition from the fast-paced, car-centric built environment to a slower-paced, more sensual place. The education pavilion serves as a place of prospect and refuge—its roof protects people from the elements but does not cut them off from the smells of the marsh and sounds of the rain. The pavilion also serves as a classroom for CBF’s educational programs—a place that nurtures exploration and discovery.

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Biophilic principles of cultural integration through murals and placemaking, live plants, direct connection to ample daylight and outdoors brings Dos Luces, a brewery in Denver, into the heart of the community - Pirie Associates.

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natural martials palette, abundant connection to daylight, direct views to nature/courtyard and art were strategica biophilic tools in this comprehensive renovation to Yale Law School's Baker Hall by Pirie Associates.

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Largo do Duque de Cadaval 17, 1200-160 Lisboa, Portugal

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Largo do Duque de Cadaval 17, 1200-160 Lisboa, Portugal

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Largo do Duque de Cadaval 17, 1200-160 Lisboa, Portugal

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Atrium of youth hostel that incorporates plants for the relaxation of the visitors in the heart of Lisbon while having lots of natural light from the glass ceiling.

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The owners have been increasingly informed by the notion of biophilia—the instinctive bond between human beings and other living systems, the love of life. As Tom Elliott states, “We initially thought of biophilia as a significant design element required by the Living Building Challenge. Now we understand that biophilia also means turning toward life internally and externally in our everyday choices. Desert Rain represents our effort to grow something life-giving for our community and ourselves.”

The extensive use of natural materials and “organic” colors characterizes all of the buildings at Desert Rain. The warm gray exterior plaster and salmon tones of the larger Miro wall are colors inspired by the native Manzanita; these tones and textures are complemented by stone and wood. Bubbling rocks of reclaimed graywater replicate the sound and freshness of a small brook. Inside, the combination of reclaimed wood and clay plasters create warm, clean-smelling spaces filled with natural light.

Natural shapes and forms such as the curving Miro wall that threads through the Main Residence are used throughout the project. The arrangement of light fixtures in the stairwell at Desert Lookout follows the Golden Ratio, a common proportion found in everything from nautilus shells to finger joints. Other features, both inside and outside, use “sacred geometry” to create harmonious, nature-inspired places.

American Clay plaster was chosen for all interior wall finishes, not only for its earthy hues, but for its natural breathability. Natural lighting and a feeling of spaciousness help occupants feel they are in a natural setting, as do subtler features, such as the integration of light, space, and mass.

In all three residences, generous windows create constant views of the surrounding landscape, including resident wildlife, near-distant trees and the mountains beyond.

The use of native plants in the landscaping, including the thoughtful placement of locally-sourced boulders, forges a direct connection with the region. The use of salvaged materials links Desert Rain to unique and particular stories. Though the structures are contemporary in design, the use of wood, particularly reclaimed and sustainably harvested wood, connects them to Pacific Northwest building traditions, and points to a future where these traditions are reinterpreted so that they sustain both the region’s forests and its communities.

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Desert Rain is a residential compound, located on a 0.7-acre parcel on the edge of a historic downtown neighborhood. The focal point is the building called Desert Rain: a 2236-square foot, one-story residence with a stucco exterior, graceful rooflines and a striking curved wall which greets visitors on approach. The wall threads through the building and exits out the opposite side, near a walkway which connects this main residence to the other buildings: a 489 square foot accessory dwelling unit called Desert Sol, a 512 square foot detached garage, which supports more solar panels and houses the rainwater collection cistern, and Desert Lookout, an 815 square foot second dwelling above a garage and the central composting system. The structures cluster in the southeast part of the site; to the north, a constructed wetland filters greywater from all three dwellings. Native plants, rocks and pavers fill out the common areas.

The home was inspired by the owners' desire to build an "extreme green dream home" in 2008. Although they were well into the design process when they heard of the Living Building Challenge in the fall of 2009, they decided to adapt the existing plan to meet the challenge. This proved to be more difficult and expensive than anticipated, resulting in a painful (and expensive) decision to scrap the original plan in December of 2009 and begin afresh.

Desert Rain is the product of many talented and committed individuals: the core team, comprised of the designers, general contractor, landscape architect, water systems engineer and sustainability consultant, as well as the many subcontractors and craftspeople who contributed their specific skills. Consultants from near and far lent their expertise, and representatives of municipal and state agencies met with the team to hammer out code issues. Suppliers and vendors worked with the team on materials selection and vetting.

Finally, hundreds of people including schoolchildren, family, friends, residents of Bend and people who were simply curious or craving a dose of inspiration have toured the project in various stages of construction.

The core team met innumerable times over the years, often around a dining room table. Though the owners, Thomas and Barbara Elliot, were the ultimate decision makers, the process was extremely collaborative. While more time-consuming, this process ensured a more holistic and integrated design.

Certification Status

Certified Living

Version of LBC

2.1

Location

Bend, OR, USA

Typology

Building

Project Area

31,350 SF

Gross Building Area

4,810 SF

Start of Occupancy

January 2013

Start of 12-month Performance Period

July 2015

Owner Occupied

Yes

Occupant Type

Residential

Number of Occupants

4-6

Owner

Barbara Scott and Thomas Elliott

Architect

Tozer Design

Contractor

Timberline Construction

Mechanical

Moore Climate Control

Electrical

All Phase Electric

Plumbing

Parazoo Plumbing

Lighting Design

Luma Lighting Design

Landscape

Heart Springs Landscape Design

Landscape

Winter Creek Restoration

Water Systems

Whole Water Systems, LLC

Structural

Walker Structural Engineering

Interior Design

Tozer Design

Sustainability Consultant

Vidas Architecture, LLC

Site Info

The site, prior to the construction of Desert Rain, was comprised of two older single-family homes on three city lots. These homes were constructed in the 1920-1930's by mill workers from the nearby lumber mills and were near the end of their useful life. The original plan was to deconstruct one home and remodel the other, but the poor quality of construction and general condition of the homes made remodeling infeasible. Therefore, the team elected to carefully de-construct both homes and salvage materials for reuse.

With regard to landscaping, the team used an ecological approach to create a self-sustaining landscape. Rock outcrops were constructed in the landscape for functional and aesthetic objectives. Rock work was used to create microclimates for species adapted to those environments, as structural components to reduce erosion and control sheet flow, and as an aesthetic element by providing structure and beauty to the landscape.

Rocks collect and radiate heat early in the growing season, and create cool and moist areas by providing shade in the summer. Numerous native plants are adapted to those specific environments, and recreating those features in a landscape helps mimic natural patterns and creates a self-sustaining landscape. In a similar fashion, shrubs in desert environments act as resource islands, concentrating organic matter, nutrients, and retaining moisture that supports forbs and grasses. The team recreated these patterns in the landscape at Desert Rain to help develop a naturally functional planting. This landscaping, which mimics the sagebrush steppe plant community, can thrive on less (and eventually, no) irrigation.

The High Desert plants that thrive in the Bend area are adapted to cope with wide temperature swings and less than twelve inches of rain each year: shrubs such as rabbitbrush and sagebrush, hardy bunchgrasses and forbs such as Oregon sunshine and purple monkeyflower-and of course, the ponderosa pine.

Some native species, including Oregon grape, sagebrush and bitterweed, grew in pockets around the site, but non-native plants-annual ryegrass, cheatgrass and mustard-dominated other parts of the property. These non-native plants posed a significant challenge since the team wanted to avoid the use of any herbicides on site.

As this landscape matures and grows, it will provide food for wildlife and become habitat for insects, birds and mammals. A pollinator hotel is included to attract nesting pollinators, such as native bees, flies and wasps.

The property's most dramatic attribute-a sheer, rocky outcropping-is also its most limiting. Much of the site is solid basalt; the little soil present is poor and thin. This posed a difficult challenge in relation to the urban agriculture requirements of the Living Building Challenge.

The placement of new trees was limited by a provision from the State of Oregon's plumbing code which prohibits trees within twenty feet of gutter edges if they are to be used for collecting rainwater for potable use.

02. Urban Agriculture Imperative

Based on Desert Rain's Transect and Floor Area Ratio, 35 percent of the project's area is to be used for food production. Although the team was granted an exception for the site's steep slopes, which simply cannot host plants, this requirement posed a challenge given Desert Rain's High Desert location. The region typically receives an average of 11 inches of water per year, often even less in drought years, and food plants typically need lots of water. Balancing the requirements of both the Urban Agriculture Imperative and the Net Zero Water Imperative required a broader interpretation of "edible."

The team utilized plants that are technically edible, such as Englemann's Wood Rose, Oregon grape and serviceberry, with the understanding that wildlife, not humans, would likely eat the fruits. Along with established apple trees already on the site, serviceberry, choke cherry and elderberry trees were added. The list of shrubs that produce edible berries includes currants, Oregon grape and roses (for their rosehips); wild strawberries provide an edible groundcover. In addition, a dedicated food garden irrigated by treated graywater lies northeast of the Main Residence, near the constructed wetland.

A critical fungal community was introduced by inoculating plants with mycorrhizal fungi and increased organic matter and bacteria in the soil by incorporating compost in all landscaped areas. All plants were installed with Aquasmart™; a corn-starch based polymerized sand that absorbs water and slowly releases it in the root zone. This technique, in conjunction with establishment of mycorrhizal fungi, reduces water use significantly and is a method the team found very successful in dry land plantings.

As a result of these efforts, the site has fruits and vegetables throughout the growing season. Rhubarb is available in May and June, wild strawberries in late June and July, currents, service berries, and Oregon grapes in July, apples and crabapples in August. The food plot is planted with garlic, spinach, various lettuce varieties, radishes and other garden vegetables.

04. Car Free Living Imperative

The owners purposely picked this site because it is in a diverse neighborhood with very easy access to human services: library, stores, and recreation. The neighborhood surrounding Desert Rain includes a mix of older, Craftsman-style homes, and contemporary homes along winding, comfortable streets. Mixed into the neighborhood are restaurants, markets, a public library and various retail outlets. The Deschutes River, Bend's River Trail and Miller's Landing, a riverfront park, are a few minutes' walk away.

Tom and Barb utilize cruiser bicycles for many errands, although the project provides sufficient energy to charge two electric vehicles year-round. The garages are located on the alley of the property to minimize their visual impact.

05. Net Zero Water Imperative

06. Ecological Water Flow Imperative

Desert Rain has three residential structures that generate greywater, including the main residence, a detached guest apartment and a second detached guest apartment/office studio.

All used water - except from toilets and dishwashers - is considered greywater in Oregon and routed through the constructed wetland for advanced secondary treatment as specified in Oregon Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) Type 2 greywater code. Water from sinks, showers and laundry machines is permanently plumbed out of the house towards the constructed wetland treatment system. Greywater code requires that all fixtures have a valve capable of diverting water to the sewer in the event that water does not meet their greywater definition (e.g. washing diapers, cleaning paint brushes). Desert Rain's system meets this requirement with a single diversion valve located outside the buildings.

Desert Rain's greywater system consists of four principal elements:

Primary tank for trapping solids and oils

Subsurface constructed wetland for secondary treatment of suspended solids and organic material

Storage for treated greywater

Irrigation system for treated greywater reuse

Desert Rain's greywater treatment system was designed with the intent that it could be used in the future to treat not only the greywater, but all of the "wastewater" generated by the residence. The primary tank and constructed wetland are designed and sized to meet DEQ specifications for onsite wastewater treatment for three dwelling units - which is how DEQ classifies Desert Rain's detached guest apartments. When the local sewer code is amended to allow onsite treatment and reuse of wastewater - including blackwater - Desert Rain's constructed wetland system will be capable of treating (to reuse standards) the full wastewater from three residences.

Blackwater is generated in the three residential buildings of Desert Rain from toilet fixtures and dishwashers. Vacuum toilet fixtures in the main residence and guest apartment are routed via vacuum plumbing to a Phoenix compost toilet system located in a mechanical room in the second guest apartment/office studio building. The Jets vacuum toilet fixtures are extremely water efficient, allowing the attractive commodes to be connected to a composting system located at a distance.

The project team worked closely with the vacuum toilet system manufacturer (Jets, Norway), the Bend building department and local plumbing engineers (Interface Engineering) to secure what is believed to be the first (non-institutional) vacuum plumbing system building approval in the U.S. It is the project engineers' belief that this combination of attractive vacuum toilets, vacuum plumbing conveyance, and centrally located composters is an appealing solution to the LBC Ecological Water Flow challenges faced when using compost toilets in urban office buildings.

Because the Phoenix is a large robust compost system, it is able to handle the water load and still compost efficiently - provided the occupants are able to stay within a reasonable average water budget. A single conventional waterless compost toilet fixture is located directly above the Phoenix mechanical room. Sensors are in place that monitor the compost system water level affording warning prior to a maintenance issue and allowing occupants to modify their behavior (i.e. less entertaining, more use of the conventional waterless compost toilet fixture). The Phoenix system includes an evaporator to ensure that compost leachate will not overflow to the public sewer. This evaporator was enlarged to allow it to be able to also evaporate the dishwasher discharge - plumbed separately from the main residence - provided again that the occupants stay within a reasonable water budget. Monitoring of the evaporator storage tank will allow occupants to modify their behavior (e.g. hand wash dishes) should it become necessary to avoid overflowing to the sewer.

07. Net Zero Energy Imperative

Desert Rain features three renewable energy systems: a solar PV array; a solar thermal drainback system for heating domestic water and powering the hydronic floor system in the Main Residence; and solar "hot air" system, which aids in evaporating liquid from the composting system.
Solar PV Array
E2 Solar originally sized Desert Rain's PV array at 8.5 kW, but the homeowners wanted to also have enough energy to charge two electric vehicles. This meant nearly doubling its capacity.

The 14.95 kW grid-tied array consists of 65 255W Sunmodule monocrystalline panels from Oregon manufacturer SolarWorld. 44 of the panels cover the Main Residence's south-facing shed roof; the remaining 21 are mounted on the Main Residence's Detached Garage's roof. Enphase micro-inverters allow each module to function independently and to be individually monitored.

Central Oregon is an excellent place to harness solar energy, with many sunny summer days and cold, clear winters. At Desert Rain, there were no issues with shading, but the orientation, which angles just slightly west, lowered their solar resource score to just below a perfect 1.41.

E2 estimated that Desert Rain's array would generate 19,842 kWh per year, just offsetting annual energy demand-including electric vehicle charging. But the array was sized before Desert Lookout was built; additional loads, such as pumps for the graywater wetland and composting system, had not yet been accounted for. Because there were so many variables, the homeowners had Desert Lookout pre-wired to accommodate additional solar panels, if needed.
Solar Thermal System
The infloor radiant heat system allows for combined water and space heating in the Main Residence. The system is powered primarily by a solar thermal drain-back system. The solar collectors are located on the south-facing roof of the Main Residence; the primary and smaller drain-back tank are located in the Mechanical Room. Both the drain-back system and the radiant heat system were installed by Bobcat and Sun of Bend, OR.

A Daikin Altherma Monobloc air-to-water electric heat pump works in tandem with the solar thermal system. This unit extracts heat from outside air by passing it over a heat exchanger. A second heat exchanger "rejects" the heat into water, and the cooled refrigerant returns to repeat the cycle again. This heat pump is extremely efficient, extracting 3 to 5 kWh of usable heat for every 1 kWh of energy consumed. It also includes an electric back-up heater for extreme cold weather. Unlike many combined systems, the Daikin unit supplements the solar thermal system, rather than the other way around.
Solar Hot Air System
Four SolarSheat 1500g panels power the "Evapotron," an essential part of the blackwater composting system housed in the ground floor of Desert Lookout. The Evapotron removes the water from the waste coming from toilets and dishwashers.

The panels work simply: a fan draws air into the bottom of the panels; once heated, it blows through ducts on the other side. For aesthetic reasons, the homeowners decided to have three panels mounted on the south-facing exterior wall of Desert Lookout, but this meant that the eave overhang would partially shade them in summer, hindering their performance. The representative from Advanced Composting Systems was concerned the three panels would not provide enough heat to evaporate the liquids at the required rate, so the team decided to lower the panels and add a fourth one on the west façade. In addition, Timberline Construction trimmed the eave, which had already been finished with siding.

Meanwhile, the HVAC installer had used a slightly smaller pipe to transport the hot air coming out of the panels, which means a smaller but hotter volume of air will reach the Evapotron. Ultimately, the fourth panel may not be needed. If this turns out to be the case, it will be used to heat the composting room itself.

One of the goals from the outset was to create and model a healthy physical and emotional environment throughout the design and construction of Desert Rain. During the design phase, meetings were often held in Tom and Barb's home and prefaced with social time or supplemented with refreshments. Conversations were typically round table discussions rather than prescriptive. Decisions were collective so all parties felt empowered in the process.

During construction, it was imperative to keep a clean site and ensure every worker was in compliance with the Living Building Challenge. Every contractor, sub-contractor and crew member was required to attend a one-hour presentation on the Living Building Challenge and to sign an agreement acknowledging their understanding of the Challenge. Consequently, the site was kept extremely clean and crew members were self-policing regarding any potential contamination.

To avoid any health hazards during times when there were potential concerns, such as off-gassing when the closed cell insulation was applied, no other sub-contractors were allowed on the job site. Throughout the project, the contractor worked to keep only one trade on site at a time. While less efficient, this practice avoided risks of distraction and cross-purposes among crew members.

All design, materials and practices were aimed at creating a healthy environment post-occupancy. The avoidance of paints and utilization of low-to-no VOC finishes, along with the tremendous number of operable windows and an ERV unit, resulted in very high air quality throughout the structures.

Further, the organic incorporation of biophilia elements, indoor-outdoor spaces and daylight create a powerful engagement with nature at Desert Rain. Visitors routinely describe an experience of 'sanctuary'.

08. Civilized Environment Imperative

All three residences feature ample windows, including glass doors that lead to discrete outdoor destinations, such as patios, courtyard gardens and the solar oven.

Knowing a high ratio of glazing can seriously compromise energy performance, the team intentionally chose superior triple-paned windows. This increased the extent of daylight, operable windows and natural views throughout the project.

09. Healthy Air

Desert Rain met the primary requirements of this Imperative by ensuring the presence of a dirt track-in system, both inside and outside; equipment to monitor indoor levels of carbon monoxide, temperature and humidity; and ventilated required rooms, including kitchens and bathrooms.

In addition, the team conducted air quality tests before occupancy and (at least) nine months afterward. This test measured both respirable suspended particulate matter (RSPM) and total volatile organic compounds (VOCs). Furthermore, there is continuous monitoring of CO2 levels in the main house.

Beyond meeting these requirements, the use of natural materials and Red List-compliant sealants and finishes-or no finishes at all-makes for non-toxic indoor environments. The American Clay plaster product used on the interior walls and ceilings of Desert Rain is completely free of VOCs and resists mold growth. The myrtlewood floors are finished with Osmo, a Swedish product made from plant-based oils and waxes. The wood ceilings and diamond-polished concrete floors are not finished with anything at all.

An energy recovery ventilator captures waste heat, but also ensures a steady influx of fresh air into the main residence. To reduce the impact of electro-magnetic frequencies (EMFs), electrician Mike Wagnon wired the bedrooms with metal clad (MC) cable.

Occupant behavior also influences indoor air quality; the owners open windows daily and utilize a ceiling fan in the master bedroom to circulate air.

10. Biophilia Imperative

The team vetted over 500 materials for the Desert Rain project. Sustainability consultant ML Vidas served as the lead for this enormous task. She developed a spreadsheet protocol, based on the basic form provided by the ILFI but customized to include the team's tracking, vetting and approval process.

Point people were assigned to funnel information to Vidas in the form of "e-data sheets." Kevin Lorda of Timberline Construction kept ongoing lists for materials and products gathered from the many subcontractors; he emailed Vidas prioritized groups of e-data sheets to ensure the vetting process would not cause unwanted delays. Wendy Knight of Tozer Design did the same for interior finishes, products and materials, pre-vetting them as best she could. Chris Hart-Henderson was responsible for landscaping materials.

11. Red List Imperative

The following product classes and/or specific products presented challenges to achieving the Imperative:

LED lamps (none available domestically)

Metal roofing (confusion/discrepancies between Living Building Challenge requirements and feedback through Community Dialogue)

Irrigation components (had to get small component exception for parts made in Israel)

Spray foam insulation (had to get exception for flame retardants)

The following are notable regional products that were specified:

Exterior plaster is made almost entirely of local clay, straw, and sand

12. Embodied Carbon Footprint Imperative

The team sourced materials as locally as possible and tried to use materials that had low embodied carbon. For instance, the Appropriate Sourcing Imperative inspired David Kaiser, Jr. of Elite Plastering to create an exterior plaster recipe utilizing local and regional materials. The material was mixed in shallow pits onsite.

The team's general strategy was to choose local and natural materials. Wood was used extensively, both in the framing of structures and as cladding and as a finish material. Wood was sourced in several forms: reclaimed lumber from deconstructed houses on the project site, reclaimed lumber from elsewhere in the region and FSC-certified lumber that was sustainably and regionally harvested. Other natural materials include clay-based plasters on the interior and exterior of all the structures, stone boulders and pavers used in the hardscape and landscaping. Not only did these materials define Desert Rain aesthetic, they were easy to vet and are a responsible choice when considering the whole life cycle. Natural materials don't contain Red List items; they reduce the project's carbon footprint due to their local sourcing and they also don't pose a disposal problem, as they are biodegradable.

In addition, the team tried to minimize the carbon footprint of the project through the careful selection of long-lasting materials with lower embodied energy. Desert Rain does include a significant amount of concrete, which has a high embodied energy. To minimize this, they used concrete that contains 40 percent fly ash, which is the particulate matter captured by pollution control equipment from the smokestacks of coal-burning plants. Using fly ash in this manner diverts the material from the landfill and reduces the amount of Portland cement in the mix-and thereby reducing the amount of energy required to produce the same volume of concrete.

Many elements were crafted close to home, thus reducing the carbon footprint. Carbon economies were utilized where possible by shipping raw materials and finishing them locally. For instance, rather than purchase roofing panels and ship them from a manufacturer, the team purchased a large roll of steel and fabricated almost all of the roofing, eaves, and rain gutters on location.

13. Responsible Industry Imperative

Where possible, the team relied on third-party certifications to document sustainability and fair labor practices. The primary construction material was Forest Stewardship Certified wood and salvaged wood. Most of the salvaged wood was generated on-site by Desert Rain's own crew during deconstruction of the existing homes. In one instance, the deconstruction crew realized they had seriously underestimated the time involved in such meticulous deconstruction. Consequently, they had under-bid the project. Rather than take unfair advantage of the deconstruction company, the owners met with them and re-negotiated a fair wage.

14. Appropriate Sourcing Imperative

The Desert Rain team used the "small components" and Red List exceptions for several materials; for example, some of the wiring includes a PVC coating, as Timberline Construction could not find a substitute for the material which met building code. Similarly, the closed-cell spray foam insulation, chosen for its high R-values and air-sealing capabilities, contains flame retardants.

The Red List requirement sparked several innovative solutions. Timberline chose western red cedar for the sill plates instead of pressure-treated lumber. This material, sourced through Sustainable Northwest Woods, was 100 percent FSC-certified cedar harvested as part of a restorative forestry management program at Homestead Girl Scout Camp in Zigzag, Oregon.

Instead of PVC, all plumbing lines and landscaping irrigation tubing used in Desert Rain are made from cross-linked polyethylene, or PEX. This flexible tubing also runs through the radiant floor system in the main residence.

We also took advantage of some allowed exceptions to this Imperative. For example, we could not find domestically-manufactured LED lamps. (Nearly all LED lamps are made in China, and none are made in North America.)

The team also applied for a small components exception from the Appropriate Sourcing Imperative for some of the irrigation valves and fittings. Although they were sourced from a supplier in Fresno, California, the items were manufactured in Israel, well beyond the 5,000 km radius allowed for irrigation equipment.

Heart Springs Design was responsible for sourcing many of Desert Rain's heaviest materials: pavers, gravel, soil and plant material. The landscaping reflects the regional environment, beyond just the native and climate-adapted plantings. The Holland permeable pavers, sourced from Willamette Graystone, were made at the company's manufacturing facility near Eugene, Oregon. Concrete for some of the patios was salvaged from the foundations of the original structures. Bend-based Empire Stone provided gravel, drain rock and the one of the most striking landscape elements: the columnar basalt that forms the exterior stair treads.

As mentioned before, the Appropriate Sourcing Imperative inspired David Kaiser, Jr. of Elite Plastering to create an exterior plaster recipe utilizing only local and regional materials. The material was mixed in shallow pits onsite and was comprised of sand, clay, straw and lime-an extremely low embedded carbon formula.

15. Conservation + Reuse Imperative

During the deconstruction phase in which the team deconstructed two aging mill houses, they resolved to reclaim as much as possible for use in the construction of Desert Rain. What couldn't be reused on the project was offered to Habitat For Humanity or to workers on site for reuse. This resulted in less than one truckload of material going to the landfill from the deconstruction of two homes.

The Desert Rain team also made a commitment in the design phase to choose local and natural materials that generated little waste in the first place.

Wood was used extensively, both in the framing of structures and as cladding and as a finish material. Much of this lumber came from the deconstructed mill houses on site and was re-milled and used in soffits and other places. The team also salvaged lumber from a barn in Prineville, about an hour northeast of Bend. Douglas-fir, alder and ponderosa pine lumber from this barn was repurposed as rafters and collar ties in the Main Residence; some was also used in the tongue-and groove-soffits and interior ceilings. Larger timbers were repurposed as posts between the dining room and kitchen.

The team also utilized lumber from trees harvested from the area and from the project site itself. Wood from a single walnut tree on the Concordia College campus in nearby Portland was used in countertops and built-ins; lumber from a larch sacrificed for the project was used to form the stair treads in Desert Lookout.

The project team tried to use local suppliers and craftspeople as much as possible. By doing so, they were often able to avoid long-distance shipping, excessive packaging and other externalized costs.

The concrete sinks were cast locally by Cement Elegance and required no unnecessary packaging or shipping. The team was able to source solar panels from an Oregon manufacturer. Interior designer Wendy Knight purposely sought out smaller regional vendors for certain materials; for example, the recycled glass tile from Fireclay Tile.

Vendors were encouraged to minimize packaging or use recycled materials for packaging where possible. The entire window package for all structures was packages using 100% recycled or reused materials from the factory in British Columbia.

To handle construction waste, the team implemented an aggressive recycling program organized by Anna Vacca. Instead of loading waste materials into a dumpster, crews separated them into piles or containers on site. Vacca picked up the materials with her trailer and delivered them to the recycling center and landfill. Though this required some training, eventually most people who worked on the project got used to the new system and learned to separate materials. Tasking one individual with recycling provided tighter control and accountability.

Desert Rain chose to showcase, rather than hide, much of the salvaged and reclaimed wood used in the project. Using such wood on the vaulted ceilings contributes to a lofty experience that at the same time feels warm and protective. Making reclaimed wood visible also reminds people, especially the homeowners, of the stories behind the materials, which add meaning to their beauty, and perhaps subtly remind people of their long-lasting value and that they have experienced several incarnations, both as living trees and in other structures. The slight irregularities, scars and knots in the wood save the interior from feeling too refined, which is in keeping with the homeowners' personal aesthetic. In fact, Desert Rain celebrates wood in all of its buildings, and on both the micro and macro level. This is in keeping with the craft traditions of the region, which draw on the Pacific Northwest's bounty of natural wood resources.

Reclaimed wood was used to create the custom doors, gates and entry that offer a unique experience to anyone who passes through them. The main entry into the central courtyard is an amalgam of a trilithon-an ancient post and lintel gateway-and a traditional Chinese gate. Tom Elliott, the owner, designed the entry, matching the curve of the top post with the curve of the Miró Wall. Andrew Scott, an acupuncturist, woodworker and friend of the owners, worked with Al Tozer's design, adding carved characters for harmony and tranquility to the top of the posts. He also added carvings of native wildlife and other nature-inspired symbols to the tops of other gateposts throughout the site. Some of these details are tucked in out-of-the-way places, but they are there to delight and inspire the observant.

16. Human Scale + Humane Places Imperative

17. Democracy + Social Justice Imperative

Although not required for a residential project, Desert Rain design criteria specified that two of the dwellings would be accessible for those with physical disabilities. Geoff, a friend of the owners who is confined to a wheelchair, reviewed plans and visited on-site to "ground truth" their efforts.

From the beginning, there was an "open door" policy at Desert Rain. The team hosted numerous tours and open house events while the project was under construction. The groups ranged widely, from elementary school students to personal friends.

The team also posted large informative signs at strategic locations (on Shasta Place and in the alley), providing passers-by with information about the project and the Living Building Challenge.

The owners will continue to host tours and other events onsite. When not occupied by tenants, the ADU and Desert Lookout may function to house guests who are visiting to attend workshops or other events. In this way, Desert Rain will continue to educate and inspire a large number of people through direct experience. The team further ensured that the site is accessible to all by creating gently sloped pathways devoid of steps.

18. Rights to Nature Imperative

While the Desert Rain site did not pose any significant barriers to waterways or other natural features for humans, the team was careful not to block the natural movement of wildlife through the property.

They also were mindful of the neighbor's viewspaces and the general openness of the neighborhood. Consequently, no border privacy fences were constructed, relying instead on vegetation for screening.

19. Beauty + Spirit Imperative

20. Inspiration + Education Imperative

The owners conceived Desert Rain as a demonstration project, even before learning about the Living Building Challenge. They hosted numerous tours while the project was under construction; these ranged from public events, such as the region's annual Solar Tour, to private tours for specific groups, including friends and family. The owners have continued hosting tours periodically and maintain a contact list for people interested in upcoming tours.

The team required all sub-contractors and their employees to participate in a one-hour presentation on the project and the Living Building Challenge before they were permitted on-site. While mandatory, every effort was made to connect on a personal level with individuals attending these meetings.

During construction, signage was installed outside so that passers-by and neighbors could learn about the project and the Living Building Challenge. Members of the project team presented at schools, the community college, the local Environmental Center and the ILFI UnConference.

In all, signup sheets indicate at least 400 people have seen presentations during the course of construction and occupancy.

The team also built permanent signage into a privacy fence facing the alley describing the project and the Living Building Challenge. This has been responsible for numerous informal conversations with neighbors and passersby.

Finally, there is a website for the project, which the owners still maintain, and which included a very active blog on all aspects of the construction and on the Living Building Challenge. The owners funded and collaborated on a book about the Desert Rain project, which is part of EcoTone Publishing's library of Living Building Challenge case studies and will no doubt help other project teams pursuing the Living Building Challenge. Purchase the book here.

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Desert Rain is a residential compound, located on a 0.7-acre parcel on the edge of a historic downtown neighborhood. The focal point is the building called Desert Rain: a 2236-square foot, one-story residence with a stucco exterior, graceful rooflines and a striking curved wall which greets visitors on approach.

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Meridian Energy Queens Wharf, Wellington Central, Wellington

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Meridian Energy Queens Wharf, Wellington Central, Wellington

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Meridian Energy Queens Wharf, Wellington Central, Wellington

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The Meridian Energy building on the Wellington waterfront utilises natural materials such as timber and stone, and the ground floor openly interacts with the surronding public space. The building is highly water and energy efficient and is now being upgraded to support electrification of ferry's which dock right outside.

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Situated in the Kumutoto precinct on Wellington's waterfront, the Meridian building is seamlessly integrated into the surrounding maritime environment while also representing a strikingly distinctive and environmentally innovative architectural work in its own right.

The building, completed by Studio Pacific in association with Peddle Thorp architects, is articulated as two separate forms: a curved annex portion with rich textured external louvres to relate to the surrounding historic built fabric, and a smooth, glazed rectangular pavilion cantilevered out to seemingly float lightly above the water. The top floor of the annex has been set back like a lantern, visually relating to the roof lights of the neighbouring sheds, while the folding roof of the pavilion represents a modern interpretation of the varied roof forms of the sheds. The ground floor was also functions as a fluid, lively extension of the surrounding public area.

New Zealand's first 5 Green Star rated building, the Meridian Building uses partially recycled cement in the structure, significantly reducing CO 2 emissions. Within the building there is extensive exposed thermal mass, chilled beam technology and high efficiency light fittings, all contributing to a 60% lower energy consumption than a typical office building. A 70% reduction in water usage is also achieved through harvesting rainwater and using low flow fittings. All material selections are from sustainable sources wherever possible and are recyclable.

NZGBC 5 Green Stars

5.5 Star NABERSNZ Energy Performance Rating

NZIA New Zealand Architecture Award for Sustainable Architecture, 2009

NZIA New Zealand Architecture Medal Finalist, 2009

Concrete3 Sustainability Excellence in Commercial Concrete Construction Award, 2009

New Zealand Engineering Excellence Award for Sustainability and Clean Technology, 2009

NZIA Wellington Architecture Award for Sustainable Architecture, 2008

Property Council of New Zealand Commercial Property Award of Excellence, 2008

Property Council of New Zealand Green Building Award, 2008

Timber Design Award for Sustainability, 2008

Timber Design Award for Commercial Architecture, 2008

Sustainable Business Network NZI Sustainable Design and Innovative Award, 2008

Wellington Civic Trust Award for Best Building, 2008

ACENZ Gold Award of Excellence, 2008

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Situated in the Kumutoto precinct on Wellington's waterfront, the Meridian building is seamlessly integrated into the surrounding maritime environment while also representing a strikingly distinctive and environmentally innovative architectural work in its own right.

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Craig Thomas Discovery and Visitor Center, Teton Park Road, Moose, WY, USA

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Craig Thomas Discovery and Visitor Center, Teton Park Road, Moose, WY, USA

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Craig Thomas Discovery and Visitor Center, Teton Park Road, Moose, WY, USA

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The new Craig Thomas Discovery and Visitor Center is sited between a sagebrush meadow and a riparian forest along the Snake River. Approaching through a grove of spruce, cottonwood and aspen trees, visitors are drawn into a courtyard that provides a calm and intimate place in the vast Wyoming landscape. The proportions of this outdoor space accommodate groups of people for gatherings and orientation. The roof tilts upward and away from the courtyard, its jagged edges celebrating the peaks of the Teton Range beyond.The new Craig Thomas Discovery and Visitor Center is sited between a sagebrush meadow and a riparian forest along the Snake River. Approaching through a grove of spruce, cottonwood and aspen trees, visitors are drawn into a courtyard that provides a calm and intimate place in the vast Wyoming landscape. The proportions of this outdoor space accommodate groups of people for gatherings and orientation. The roof tilts upward and away from the courtyard, its jagged edges celebrating the peaks of the Teton Range beyond.

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Grange Insurance Audubon Center, West Whittier Street, Columbus, OH, USA

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Grange Insurance Audubon Center, West Whittier Street, Columbus, OH, USA

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Grange Insurance Audubon Center, West Whittier Street, Columbus, OH, USA

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built in nature and intimate connection with restored habitat.  https://grange.audubon.org/

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12500 Dallas Pkwy, Frisco, TX 75033, USA

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The tree inspired central shade canopy at Texas Health Frisco, is a biophilic link, focal point, and community gathering space between the Hospital and Medical Office Building programs. This breezeway creates shade and funnels light breezes in the summer while providing shelter and interaction with the natural environment for visitor, caregivers and patients. The entire campus was developed through Biophilic principles and design strategies, including inspirations of a rugged and weathered landform architecture.

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Louisiana Children's Museum, Henry Thomas Drive, New Orleans, LA, USA

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Louisiana Children's Museum, Henry Thomas Drive, New Orleans, LA, USA

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Louisiana Children's Museum, Henry Thomas Drive, New Orleans, LA, USA

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2021 Stephen R. Kellert Biophilic Design Award Recipient

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Louisiana Children's Museum: Biophilic Design

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Following Hurricane Katrina, the Louisiana Children’s Museum (LCM) adapted its mission to respond to the changing needs of its recovering community. The new museum campus designed by Mithun integrates indoor and outdoor interactive experiences in a park setting, presenting a unique model for children’s museums. This video provides a glimpse into biophilic design strategies and elements incorporated within the museum experience.

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Maggie's Yorkshire, Harehills, Leeds, UK

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Yorkshire, UK

2021 Stephen Kellert Biophilic Design Award Recipient

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John R. Oishei Children's Hospital, Ellicott Street, Buffalo, NY, USA

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John R. Oishei Children's Hospital, Ellicott Street, Buffalo, NY, USA

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John R. Oishei Children's Hospital, Ellicott Street, Buffalo, NY, USA

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Winter Garden: Designed by Joy Kuebler Landscape Architect, Tredo Engineers, and Design Synergies Architecture. This space was inspired by the principles of biophilic design, incorporating plants, metal "trees", and faceted seating designed to evoke the rocks of the Niagara Gorge. Photo: Roxanne Button AIA, LEED AP

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Amazon Headquarters in Vancouver, BC, Canada

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Amazon Headquarters in Vancouver, BC, Canada

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Amazon Headquarters
Materials & Biomimcry: Sustainable and fully recyclable aluminum soffit products finished in a woodgrain pattern. VOC Free, 100% Recyclable, and brings natural elements to this corporate office design.