Archinect - News

Perkins&Will's new plant research facility opens at UC Riverside

2023-06-08T18:36:00-04:00

Perkins&Will has just announced the opening of their new 30,000-square-foot plant research facility for The University of California, Riverside’s College of Natural and Agricultural Sciences (CNAS).

The two-story greenhouse design is billed as a state-of-the-art tribute to the “importance of plant research to the culture and character of UCR" and works by “placing a utilitarian research facility in a visible and approachable location,” according to the firm.

Image ©️ Here and Now Agency/Courtesy of Perkins&Will

Yan Krymsky shares: “It’s really a machine, a tool for research. But beyond that, we wanted to create a structure that spoke to the legacy of the university.” Kymysky serves as the Design Director of Perkins&Will’s Los Angeles office, which led the award-winning project through its completion in 2021.

Image ©️ Here and Now Agency/Courtesy of Perkins&Will

“It was important for us to couple practical functionality and the aesthetic roots of the surrounding greenhouses with the...

Biophilia: 10 new examples of nature and the built environment coexisting harmoniously

2022-04-22T07:00:00-04:00

Happy Earth Day! In case you haven't checked out Archinect's Pinterest boards in a while, we have compiled ten recently pinned images from outstanding projects on various Archinect Firm and People profiles.

Today's top images (in no particular order) are from the board Biophilia.

Tip: use the handy FOLLOW feature to easily keep up-to-date with all your favorite Archinect profiles!

↑ Field Office in Portland, OR by Hacker Architects; Landscape Designer: Lango Hansen; Sustainability Consultant: YRG; Photo: Josh Partee

↑ Nanbo Bay Reception Center in Yinchuan, China; Interior Design: SUNSON Design; Photo: Kanghui Zeng

↑ Restaurante 34 in Guimarães, Portugal by REM'A; Photo: Ivo Tavares Studio

↑ Lazy House in Zlín, Czech Republic by Petr Janda / brainwork; Photo: BoysPlayNice

↑ Restaurant Terrace [ Azuma ] in Odessa, Ukraine by JK Lab Architects

↑ Wine Cave in Texas Hill Country by Clayton Korte; Photo: Casey Dunn

↑ Art Villa in Playa Hermosa, Costa Rica by Refuel works; Interiors: Fo...

A case for nature: Architect and regenerative design strategist Amanda Sturgeon pushes for rewilding cities

2021-04-06T20:39:00-04:00

More cities are incorporating biophilic design approaches for several reasons. While some firms genuinely practice regenerative and sustainable design methods, others could be placed into the category of "greenwashing" to satisfy trends and bolster their firm's PR efforts. However, according to architect and regenerative design strategist Amanda Sturgeon, the goal is to have buildings "that are intimately connected to the living systems that have evolved with us, that celebrate the human-nature connection that is central to our wellbeing."

In her recent article for The Guardian, Sturgeon makes a case for rewilding cities. She explains, "rewilding is about adding nature everywhere, not just in parks, by using nature-based solutions or green infrastructure at the edges of our streets, in leftover spaces, and on and within our buildings."

Featured on Archinect: McMansion Hell's Kate Wagner dissects issues with big tech and the 'blurred line' between private and public space. Image cou...

Biophilia: 10 fresh examples of nature and architecture blending harmoniously

2020-06-05T11:34:00-04:00

In case you haven't checked out Archinect's Pinterest boards in a while, we have compiled ten recently pinned images from outstanding projects on various Archinect Firm and People profiles.

Tip: use the handy FOLLOW feature to easily keep up-to-date with all your favorite Archinect profiles!

Today's top images (in no particular order) are from the board Biophilia.

↑ The Evans Tree House at Garvan Woodland Gardens in Hot Springs, AR by Modus Studio and the University of Arkansas; Team Member: Scott Penman (more about this project, a 2019 AIA Small Project Award winner, here)

↑ Hood Cliff Retreat in Hood Canal, WA by Wittman Estes; Photo: Andrew Pogue (Wittman Estes was also featured in Archinect's Studio Snapshots series)

↑ Cliff House in White Salmon, WA by Giulietti / Schouten AIA Architects

↑ Walnut Woods Residence in Indian Hill, OH by John Senhauser Architects; Photo: Eric Williams, Scott Hisey

↑ Art Villas in Playa Hermosa, Costa Rica by Formafatal; Photo: BoysPlayNice

↑ Jack...

Biophilia: 10 fresh examples of nature and architecture coexisting harmoniously

2019-03-01T09:00:00-05:00

In case you haven't checked out Archinect's Pinterest boards in a while, we have compiled ten recently pinned images from outstanding projects on various Archinect Firm and People profiles.

(Tip: use the handy FOLLOW feature to easily keep up-to-date with all your favorite Archinect profiles!)

Today's top images (in no particular order) are from the board Biophilia.

↑ Delfland Water Authority in Delft, Netherlands by Mecanoo and SILO Agency

↑ The Tillary Hotel in Brooklyn, NY by Cl-oth Interiors

↑ House in Peconic Bay, NY by Mapos Architects, DPC

↑ O Cuatro Residence in Mexico City by MIGDAL ARQUITECTOS; Photo: Rafael Gamo

↑ One Vandam in New York, NY by BKSK Architects, LLP; Landscape Architect: Mathews Nielsen Landscape Architects, P.C.; Photo: Alexander Severin

↑ Three-Court Residence in Austin, TX by A Parallel Architecture

↑ Tribeca Loft in New York, NY by Andrew Franz Architect, PLLC; Photo: Albert Vecerka/Esto

↑ House Ferndale in Randburg, South Africa by Nico van der Meulen ...

Amazon's Spheres are now partially accessible to the public; here's how to get in

2018-01-29T17:05:00-05:00

Amazon’s Spheres, a botanical gardenlike workspace for the retail giant’s employees, are primarily a private space. But the company has set up a few ways for the public to access the geodesic domes — in downtown Seattle on Lenora Street between Sixth and Seventh Avenues — starting Tuesday, when the Spheres officially open to visitors and employees.

The Amazon Spheres, designed by NBBJ, will now be open to the public; however, getting in may be tricky. There is the option of entering from the ground floor to see an exhibition about the Spheres, and the much more difficult option to join a guided tour of the entire headquarters.

Inside the Spheres at Amazon headquarters in Seattle. Image: Seattle City Council/Flickr.

Amazon has created an exhibit space called Spheres Discovery at Understory, located on the ground floor of the spheres. The space will showcase all the details about the design and plants housed within Amazon's newest addition to their Seattle headquarters. Admission is free, but you will need to make a reservation for your visit.

Amazon Spheres in the company's Seattle headquarters location. Image: iTecnologia/Twitter.

Getting in on the guided headquarters tour will give you access to the employee-only areas. These tours are offered on Wednesdays and include a stop at the Spheres, while they are free they are als...

Biophilia: 10 examples of nature and architecture blending harmoniously

2018-01-12T13:43:00-05:00

In case you haven't checked out Archinect's Pinterest boards in a while, we have compiled ten recently pinned images from outstanding projects on various Archinect Firm and People profiles.

(Tip: use the handy FOLLOW feature to easily keep up-to-date with all your favorite Archinect profiles!)

Today's top images (in no particular order) are from the board Biophilia.

↑ Morris Arboretum, Out on a Limb in Philadelphia, PA by Metcalfe Architecture & Design (Principal: Alan Metcalfe); Photo: Paul Warchol Photography

↑ Coffee for Sasquatch in Los Angeles, CA by Dan Brunn Architecture

↑ Within the Reflection in Taipei, Taiwan by B P Architects; Photo: Hung-Yu Lin

↑ Little House in Hood Canal, WA by Mw|works Architecture + Design

↑ Garden Museum Phase 2 in London, UK by Dow Jones Architects; Photo: David Grandorge, Anthony Coleman

↑ The MAOHAUS in Beijing, China by AntiStatics Architecture Design; Photo: Xia Zhi, AntiStatics

↑ La Kretz Innovation Campus (LKIC) in Los Angeles, CA by John Fri...

Are planted building renderings a real solution or just for show?

2017-12-18T15:10:00-05:00

The trend for “green” eco-fantasy buildings is sweeping the world of architecture, with designers now integrating gardens, terraces and all manner of vertical planting in their specifications for office blocks, apartment buildings and even skyscrapers. “Starchitects” [...] who a few years ago would have scoffed at the idea that their sleek and shiny building might incorporate something as embarrassingly domestic and “unmodern” as a garden, are now getting in on the act.

We have all seen many plant covered architectural renderings of firms getting in on the green building movement. While green buildings and sustainability are not new concepts, they are now a widespread trend being commercialized on a whole different scale. From the vast number of these green projects we must now distinguish between the quality of these designs and their overall effectiveness on the environment. Now we must ask: is there a difference between putting trees on buildings and real environmental change?

Getting down with the LED grow lights to be used in NYC's Lowline

2017-03-02T19:51:00-05:00

Although still just a mock-up in the Lowline Lab, the LED grow lights designed by Lighting Science for use in the real Lowline are a promising iteration.

Combining everything that's great about glowing hexagons with three different settings ("soft-white light, one that mimics daylight, and one that includes Lighting Science’s patented VividGroTM LED indoor grow light spectrum technology") the grow lights are about 2 feet in diameter each, and will be coupled with solar installations designed to direct sunlight into the depths of the pioneering subterranean park.

Ten Top Images on Archinect's "Biophilia" Pinterest Board

2016-11-04T14:51:00-04:00

In case you haven't checked out Archinect's Pinterest boards in a while, we have compiled ten recently pinned images from outstanding projects on various Archinect Firm and People profiles.

(Tip: use the handy FOLLOW feature to easily keep up-to-date with all your favorite Archinect profiles!)

Today's top images (in no particular order) are from the board Biophilia.

↑ CorManca House in Mexico City by PAUL CREMOUX studio; Photo: Héctor Armanado Herrera

↑ Boerum Hill Townhouse in Brooklyn, NY by General Assembly

↑ Black Box in Los Angeles, CA by Aaron Neubert Architects; Photo: Brian Thomas Jones

↑ McCahon's Artist Residence in Titirangi, New Zealand by Bossley Architects

↑ Pear Tree House in East Dulwich, UK by Edgley Design

↑ kleinOud in Berlin, Germany by brandt+simon architekten; Photo: Dirk Dähmlow

↑ Ricardo Bofill Taller de Arquitectura Headquarters in Sant Just Desvern, Spain by Ricardo Bofill Taller de Arquitectura

↑ HEX-SYS in Guangzhou, China by OPEN Architecture; Photo: Zhang Chao

↑ B...

UCL unleashes an autonomous, roving 'garden sphere' for London

2016-10-05T13:25:00-04:00

Therefore, our general theme and approach in this set of projects is that plants should become part of our society as well as self-reliant, and be given the ability to autonomously interact and walk with us. [...] The prototype is seen as a larger scale architectural improvement. With the reduction of gardens as years pass on, the design represents a depleted Earth as it is regenerating and given new life.

Watch the making of the "garden sphere", Hortum Machina, B below:

First unveiled in April of this year, the Hortum Machina, B project is designed by architects William Victor Camilleri and Danilo Sampaio at the UCL's Bartlett. Covered in GCR, the "autonomy" is derived from the plants inside the sphere: "although flora lack nervous systems 'they can, much like animals, become electro-chemically stimulated by (their) environment'.

The designers have wired these botanical reflexes into the control-loop of the sphere’s 'autonomous robotic ecosystem', thereby allowing for autonomous travel. In fact, the plants are able to move the exoskeleton 'collectively and democratically'."

Related on Archinect:

Forget ball pits – Amazon is growing over 3,000 plant species to fill its new downtown Seattle HQ

2016-07-19T17:33:00-04:00

the spheres will be packed with a plant collection worthy of top-notch conservatories, allowing Amazon employees to amble through tree canopies three stories off the ground, meet with colleagues in rooms with walls made from vines and eat kale Caesar salads next to an indoor creek. [...] “The whole idea was to get people to think more creatively, maybe come up with a new idea they wouldn’t have if they were just in their office,” said Dale Alberda, the lead architect on the project at NBBJ

While the benefits of greenery for employee productivity is well established, and any good tech company needs to play up the "serendipity machine" game, Amazon is taking this to an architectural level:

The spheres will have meeting areas called treehouses, and suspension bridges high off the ground that will be just wobbly enough to quicken the pulses of employees who walk over them. “Amazon said, ‘Make this fun,’” said Mr. Alberda, the architect.

NYC's Lowline is approved by city officials, becoming world's first underground park

2016-07-14T14:25:00-04:00

What do you do with a sad, funky, abandoned trolley terminus? Well, if it's the former Williamsburg Bridge Trolley Terminal under Delancey Street in New York City, you make the world's first underground park by virtue of adding some mirrors, skylights, and vegetation. One acre in size, the freshly city-approved park (which took nearly a decade to go from its initial concept to getting the green light from the city) makes use of solar technology to pour sunlight into the former terminal, which has remained unused since 1948.

"Every designer dreams of doing civic work that contributes to society and to the profession," said James Ramsey, Lowline Co-Founder and Creator. "Over the last 8 years, we just stuck to what we thought was a great idea that could make our city and our community better. We're thrilled to move ahead on designing and building a space that people will enjoy for generations to come."

For more on innovative design news in NYC:

Ten Top Images on Archinect's "Biophilia" Pinterest Board

2015-06-05T15:06:00-04:00

In case you haven't checked out Archinect's Pinterest boards in a while, we have compiled ten recently pinned images from outstanding projects on various Archinect Firm and People profiles.

(Tip: use the handy FOLLOW feature to easily keep up-to-date with all your favorite Archinect profiles!)

Today's top images (in no particular order) are from the board Biophilia.

↑ Sculptural Rooftop + Garden in Chicago, IL by dSpace Studio

↑ Stadthaus M1 - Green City Hotel in Freiburg im Breisgau, Germany by Barkow Leibinger; Photo: Zooey Braun

↑ Pickford Residence in Culver City, CA by Duvivier Architects

↑ In Situ Estate in Redding, CT by Land Morphology

↑ Finite-Infinite at the Beijing Garden Expo in Beijing, China by Ballistic Architecture Machine with Peter Walker Partners

↑ Gramercy Residence Sky Park in Mandaluyong, the Philippines by Pomeroy Studio

↑ OUTSIDE-IN at the 22nd International Garden Festival in Chaumont-sur-Loire, France by Meir Lobaton Corona and Ulli Heckmann; Photo: Fabio Ferrario

↑ ...

Problem Plants - Weeds in Ecology, Art and Culture

2015-01-23T22:57:00-05:00

the spontaneous plants, remain wild in the city, choosing to live among us. What allows these plants, the successful weeds of the city, to thrive in sidewalk cracks and rubble piles while valued native species retreat to rural landscapes? What are the characteristics of a successful invaders, colonizers and pioneers?

Ellie Irons on Nativeness, Biodiversity, and Urban Flora in the Anthropocene.

Ten Top Images on Archinect's "Biophilia" Pinterest Board

2012-10-12T14:28:00-04:00

In case you haven't checked out Archinect's Pinterest boards in a while, we have compiled ten recently pinned images from outstanding projects on various Archinect Firm and People profiles.

Today's top images (in no particular order) are from the board Biophilia.

↑ Cabbagetown Garden in Toronto, Canada by PLANT Architect Inc.

↑ Robinson Nature Center in Columbia, MD by GWWO Architects

↑ Galileo's Pavilion; Johnson County Community College in Overland Park, KS by Studio 804 (team member: Nathan Jarvis)

↑ Pine Creek Pavilion in Pine Creek, MT by Artemis Institute

↑ The Offices of Buck O'Neill Builders, Inc in San Francisco, CA by jones | haydu

↑ AEA Headquarters in Bronx, NY by Future Green Studio

↑ Home in the Hills in the Santa Cruz Mountains, CA by Geoffrey Holton and Associates (team member: David Waldorf, Photo: Muffy Kibbey)

↑ Tree Adventure in Philadelphia, PA by Metcalfe Architecture & Design

↑ Pelter Residence in Los Angeles, C...