Page 45 - I-Plants Magazine special 2021 Biophilic Design Awards issue - regular res

Gold Award What makes this design biophilic? 45
Balancing biophilic design and drawing connections to the
Holiday Decor, Short Term Rentals & Special Events building’s original history was a core goal when working on
401 Park. The building’s architecture is an amazing display
$30,001-$40,000 of its simple, yet historic story. All our designs in this build-
ing complement its history, while transforming the visitor’s
Project: experience to a place of familiarity and nostalgia. Transfor-
mation is key in this holiday design. With an eighteen-foot
401 Park (Holiday) tree as its center piece, our designers competed with large
architectural elements such as 30-foot glass walls, oversized
concrete columns and more. This design reminds visitors
of a New England countryside. The incorporation of rustic
lanterns, bells, snowshoes and skis all bring back childhood
Congratulations to: memories of holidays in the countryside. Many nostalgic
childhood items from the Sears catalog are on display as
Cityscapes artifacts from the building’s time as a shipping center. Nos-
talgia and biophilia go hand in hand.
Boston, Mass, U.S.A Above: Lanterns are an important visual bridge between the industrial charac-
teristics of the architecture and the nostalgia and magic of the holiday décor.
The order of small to large eases visual transition and helps the holiday tree
blend right in with the atrium. It feels both natural and organic, like it came
straight out of a Dickens novel.
Many New Englanders have a strong connection to the outdoors.
Camping, hiking, hunting, and fishing are all prevalent hobbies for
many of us. This holiday décor played on the shapes, textures, and
colors of these familiar activities. One could almost feel the warmth
radiating from this design like that from a wood burning stove in a
cabin. The only inclusion of bright color was accents of crimson red,
which popped against the prevalence of natural evergreen texture. Our
statement tree was further emphasized by the inclusion of a vignette of
lanterns and industrial furniture pieces. There is an imperfect symme-
try and balance found there that is often found in nature, a feeling of
randomness underlined by a sense of purpose. The existing plantscap-
ing also gives way to the holiday décor, as the containers were moved
to help create the transition into this above-and beyond holiday scene.
The pairing of indoor plants and holiday décor made the plants look
less tropical, more like they belonged at the edge of an evergreen for-
est. This building sits at the edge of a busy commercial and retail neigh-
borhood. The holiday décor at 401 park turns the building’s atrium
Left: The rectangular shape of this grapevine wreath played off the tall rectangu-
lar pillars and glass panes seen throughout the building’s design. The choice to
incorporate this wooden grape-vine wreath mimics the wooden elements found in
the statement tree at the atriums entrance. With baubles dotted like berries on a
fruit bush, the wreath is a balance between man-made and natural. With nostalgic
holiday elements like bells, it communicates the sentiment of the holiday season
without being too overpowering.