A sustainably designed greenhouse integrates technology with architecture
Kennedy & Violich Architecture
Global Flora reimagines how the design of a sustainable greenhouse can enhance global interdisciplinary science education and deepen a public understanding of nature. The Global Flora botanical facility expands the 1920 vision of Dr Margaret Ferguson, who argued for plant biology to be included as a central part of science education in the USA, and encouraged students to “listen to” plants and learn through hands-on interdisciplinary experiences.
Global Flora is a free and public botany lab and ‘museum’ that emphasizes the importance of environmental stewardship to current and future generations on-site (in Massachusetts, USA) and online. It houses a pre-eminent global plant collection within Dry and Tropical biomes. The iconic Durant Camellia tree, over 140 years old, is housed in a seasonal pavilion that connects with the new facility. Global Flora exceeds the net zero water and energy requirements of the Living Building Challenge, the world’s most rigorous certification of sustainable construction.
An open source Interactive Sensor Platform allows people to gather and share real-time data from plants, soil, air, and water over multiple public digital media platforms. Gathered data is accessible to public schools and international research universities, thereby strengthening the global knowledge sharing platform.
Project: Wellesley College Global Flora / Location: Wellesley, Massachusetts, USA / Architect: Kennedy & Violich Architecture / Client: Wellesley College / Construction: 2018.4~2019.6 / Photograph: ©courtesy of architect(courtesy of the architect)
