Everyone has heard of a snow globe, but what about a jungle sphere? Designed by NBBJ, the Spheres are a new plant-stuffed workplace at the center of Amazon’s Seattle headquarters. Exposure to nature has been proven to help relax people and increase their creativity, and the Spheres and their tens of thousands of plants are meant to do just that for Amazon’s employees.
Along with the approximately 40,000 plants and trees inside the Spheres are seating areas, including the wooden “bird’s nest” seating area; suspended walkways that wind through the plants; waterfalls; and a four-story living wall that occupies 4,000 sf. The temperature inside the Spheres will kept at an average of 72 degrees with 60% humidity during the day, a climate meant to mimic Costa Rica’s Central Valley, The Seattle Times reports There will also be micro-climates within the space so employees can find a spot with the perfect temperature.
The new building can accommodate 800 people and offers WiFi throughout. Amazon badges will be used to monitor how much time an employee spends inside for safety and capacity reasons.
The three connected Spheres occupy 70,000 sf and will be open to the public via guided tours and ground floor retail space.
Related Stories
| Jul 17, 2014
A high-rise with outdoor, vertical community space? It's possible! [slideshow]
Danish design firm C.F. Møller has developed a novel way to increase community space without compromising privacy or indoor space.
| Jul 16, 2014
Check out this tree-like skyscraper concept for vertical farming
Aprilli Design Studio has stepped forward with a new idea for a vertical farm, which is intended to resemble a giant tree. It uses lightweight decks as outdoor growing space, adding up to about 25 acres of space.
| Jul 15, 2014
A look into the history of modular construction
Modular construction is more than a century old, and throughout its lifespan, the methods have been readapted to meet specific needs of different eras.
| Jul 14, 2014
Meet the bamboo-tent hotel that can grow
Beijing-based design cooperative Penda designed a bamboo hotel that can easily expand vertically or horizontally.
| Jul 11, 2014
Are these LEGO-like blocks the future of construction?
Kite Bricks proposes a more efficient way of building with its newly developed Smart Bricks system.
| Jul 10, 2014
BioSkin 'vertical sprinkler' named top technical innovation in high-rise design
BioSkin, a system of water-filled ceramic pipes that cools the exterior surface of buildings and their surrounding micro-climates, has won the 2014 Tall Building Innovation Award from the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat.
| Jul 10, 2014
New tool aggregates LEED project info for over 150 countries
The U.S. Green Building Council announced the launch of an expanded online data visualization resource that will allow any user to access aggregated LEED green building project information in the more than 150 countries with LEED projects.
| Jul 2, 2014
Emerging trends in commercial flooring
Rectangular tiles, digital graphic applications, the resurgence of terrazzo, and product transparency headline today’s commercial flooring trends.
| Jun 30, 2014
4 design concepts that remake the urban farmer's market
The American Institute of Architects held a competition to solve the farmer's markets' biggest design dilemma: lightweight, bland canopies that although convenient, does not protect much from the elements.
| Jun 30, 2014
OMA's The Interlace honored as one of the world's most 'community-friendly' high-rises
The 1,040-unit apartment complex in Singapore has won the inaugural Urban Habitat award from the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat, which highlights projects that demonstrate a positive contribution to the surrounding environment.
