Spheres of Influence: People and Plants Cohabitate in Amazon’s Seattle Spheres

The Spheres became a Seattle icon even before their opening in early 2018. The project speaks emphatically to integration: the integration of aesthetics and performance, of form and function, of structure and cladding, of human and natural systems. The design and construction of the three nested domes provided a novel experience in balancing the needs of people and plants in a workspace habitat. The innovative steel and glass enclosure system that forms the 4-story enclosure plays an integral role in providing that balance. This session explores the enclosure design and how the complex form of the geometry evolved, how a structure and cladding system was developed to realize that geometry, and how the fabrication and construction of the enclosure was realized. Hear from a multidisciplinary team about the unique challenges of this project and how it has informed their practice.