flexiblefullpage
billboard
interstitial1
catfish1
Currently Reading

First look: Revised plan for Amazon's Seattle HQ and 'biodome'

First look: Revised plan for Amazon's Seattle HQ and 'biodome'

Spheres will offer climate-controlled environment featuring "montane ecologies" of plants, plus space for work, shopping, and amenities.


By BD+C Staff | May 24, 2013

NBBJ has released renderings of a revised plan for Amazon's new three-block headquarters in Seattle. The proposal would replace a previously approved six-story office building with a three-unit "biodome": spheres that will hold large, mature trees and other plants in open, high-bay space. Retail stores are programmed for the ground floor of the spheres, which will comprise about 65,000 sf of space for work, dining, meetings, and recreation. Varied botanical zones will be created, based on diverse climate patterns.

The five-acre complex will also contain three 38-story office towers, providing some 3.3 million sf of space. Smaller, mixed-use buildings are also planned for the development, with facilities linked by pathways and green space.

The proposal is just the latest in a series of large-scale headquarters developments in the works or recently completed for the world's high-tech firms, including Apple, Google, Samsung, and Facebook. The renderings below, provided by NBBJ, give a feel for the proposal: a plum project for a city that already has what's touted as the world's greenest office building.

(http://www.fastcoexist.com/1682132/amazon-is-building-a-biosphere-for-its-employees#1)

 

Related Stories

Architects | Mar 5, 2019

Arata Isozaki named 2019 Pritzker Architecture Prize Laureate

The Japanese architect, city planner, and theorist is known for his deep commitment to the “art of space” and transnational methodology.

Architects | Feb 14, 2019

Amazon will not build HQ2 in New York City

The tech giant walks away from a deal, succumbing to opposition over huge tax breaks.

Architects | Feb 12, 2019

The basics of building commissioning

As building system technology increases in complexity and sustainability remains at the forefront of design, the need for commissioning continues to rise. This is the first post in our series examining the basics, benefits and boundaries of building commissioning.

Architects | Jan 28, 2019

9 tech trends to track in 2019

Innovations in voice recognition, cognitive neuroscience, and biometrics are among the trending tech topics for 2019, according to CallisonRTKL's Kristin Tilley.

AEC Tech | Jan 9, 2019

Our robotic future: Assessing AI's impact on the AEC profession and the built environment

This is the first in a series by Lance Hosey, FAIA, on how automation is disrupting design and construction.

Architects | Dec 17, 2018

New toolkit helps architect achieve high-performance buildings

Architects can download a copy of the toolkit online.

Architects | Dec 13, 2018

Social media synergy: Revving up your AEC firm’s content engine

Design firms know that just having a website and a blog aren’t enough, but social media complicates how they communicate.   

Architects | Dec 10, 2018

The art and science of drawing: Humanizing the design process with a bit of controlled mayhem

Hand drawing reveals a dimension beyond those available in a CAD drawing or digital rendering.

Architects | Dec 7, 2018

2019 AIA Gold Medal awarded to Lord Richard Rogers, Hon. FAIA

The Gold Medal honors an individual whose significant body of work has had a lasting influence on the theory and practice of architecture.

boombox1
boombox2
native1

More In Category

Construction Costs

Data center construction costs for 2024

Gordian’s data features more than 100 building models, including computer data centers. These localized models allow architects, engineers, and other preconstruction professionals to quickly and accurately create conceptual estimates for future builds. This table shows a five-year view of costs per square foot for one-story computer data centers. 


Sustainability

Grimshaw launches free online tool to help accelerate decarbonization of buildings

Minoro, an online platform to help accelerate the decarbonization of buildings, was recently launched by architecture firm Grimshaw, in collaboration with more than 20 supporting organizations including World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD), RIBA, Architecture 2030, the World Green Building Council (WorldGBC) and several national Green Building Councils from across the globe.



Healthcare Facilities

Watch on-demand: Key Trends in the Healthcare Facilities Market for 2024-2025

Join the Building Design+Construction editorial team for this on-demand webinar on key trends, innovations, and opportunities in the $65 billion U.S. healthcare buildings market. A panel of healthcare design and construction experts present their latest projects, trends, innovations, opportunities, and data/research on key healthcare facilities sub-sectors. A 2024-2025 U.S. healthcare facilities market outlook is also presented.

halfpage1

Most Popular Content

  1. 2021 Giants 400 Report
  2. Top 150 Architecture Firms for 2019
  3. 13 projects that represent the future of affordable housing
  4. Sagrada Familia completion date pushed back due to coronavirus
  5. Top 160 Architecture Firms 2021