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

| Jun 18, 2014

Largest Passive House structure in the U.S. to be built in Oregon

Orchards at Orenco, a 57-unit affordable housing complex in Hillsboro, Oregon, is the first of a three-phase, three-building complex.

| Jun 18, 2014

SOM's twisting tower wins design competition for Sweden's tallest skyscraper

The skyscraper, which will reach 230 meters and is named Polstjärnan, or "The Pole Star," is to be built in Gothenburg, Sweden. 

| Jun 18, 2014

Study shows walkable urbanism has positive economic impact

Walkable communities have a higher GDP, greater wealth, and higher percentages of college grads, according to a new study by George Washington University.

| Jun 18, 2014

Ware Malcomb names Sorensen Engineering Regional Manager

New hire will oversee firm's civil engineering practice in Los Angeles, San Diego, and Irvine.

| Jun 18, 2014

JLG Architects hires 31 to keep up with 'shale gale' work

Construction boom fueled by 'shale gale' brings rapid growth to North Dakota firm.

| Jun 18, 2014

Arup uses 3D printing to fabricate one-of-a-kind structural steel components

The firm's research shows that 3D printing has the potential to reduce costs, cut waste, and slash the carbon footprint of the construction sector.

| Jun 18, 2014

Architecture Billings Index shows increase in design activity

The American Institute of Architects reported that the May ABI score was 52.6, up sharply from a mark of 49.6 in April. This score reflects an increase in design activity.

| Jun 17, 2014

Must see: If music were architecture in 27 illustrations

From Miles Davis to Björk to Manu Chao to Bach, Babina visualizes how these sounds will look like if they were visible in the form of architecture.

| Jun 17, 2014

Nation's largest Thai Buddhist temple opens near Boston

The $60 million facility built in honor of King Rama IX of Thailand is the largest Thai Buddhist temple outside of Thailand.

| Jun 17, 2014

U.S. Census report examines why Americans move

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, 35.9 million people moved between 2012 and 2013, meaning that 11.7% of the U.S. population moved in one year. The report seeks to examine why.

boombox1
boombox2
native1

More In Category




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