"No Susie, we don't want plants. We will just kill them"
- Susanne Desbrow
- Mar 4
- 2 min read
I brought up Biophilia in a casual conversation with this client, and their response was a very definite no to having plants in their office. I get it, someone always has to water them. However, Biophilic design goes beyond simply adding plants and is actually quite fascinating. Take a look at this blog post I wrote for more intriguing insights on the subject!
Without causing harm to any plants, We managed to incorporate this concept into the design of XI Technologies new office. The project encompasses all six primary Biophilia considerations to a certain degree.
1 Environmental features
2 Natural shapes and forms
3 Natural patterns & processes
4 Light and space
5 Place- based relationships
6 Evolved human-nature relationships
The project is situated on the 24th floor of the Altius Centre in downtown Calgary. The windows at the main entry/welcome area offer a west-facing view towards the mountains and Winsport, Calgary's ski hill that hosted the 1988 Winter Olympics. We preserved the view while enhancing the space to bring in more light and openness.
In the waiting area, there was a wall with a texture that mirrored natural patterns and also included the client's branding.
The counter top in the staff kitchen and open collaboration area was selected for its striking organic pattern, serving as the central focal point of the design. This space is designed to foster collaboration and double as an open event area.
Quartz: Cambria, style Britannica Gold cool
When the client first got the keys for the property the existing conference room was enclosed. We replaced the wall facing the open collaboration area with glazing, creating more light but also incorporating a film on the glazing that reflects a Birch tree forest.
Please see below some images of the finished project.
Architect: Roger White Architecture
Interior Designer: Susanne Desbrow Interior Design
General Contractor: Royal Construction
Electrical Engineer: SMP Engineering
Mechanical Engineer: TMP Engineering
I hope you enjoyed reading my blog. If you have similar project, we would love to work with you. Please reach us at the following email address: desbrowdesign@gmail.com
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