| |
| |
Professional Perspectives: Why do
you specify plants?
Here are a few insights from professionals on why
they specify plants.
Tapani Talo, Principal
NY Super Studio Architects, New York
"We try to connect outside in, or do semi-court
yard layouts. Focal points inside the building are
important placements for plants and changing flowers.
Anybody who walked through the IBM atrium in NYC
before IBM sold it, found the monthly changing flower
arrangements astonishingly refreshing."
Murry Newton, Executive Vice President of Construction
Koll Development Company, Atlanta
"The benefits of indoor plants outweigh the cost
of purchasing and maintaining them. We often use
Ficus Bengamina trees in our green buildings, because
they are one of the most aggressive pollution-fighting
plants."
Evan Galen, Principal
Evan Galen Architects, New York
"Seldom have we designed interiors without plants.
A vital part of any design is representing life
force that plants bring to a space. This philosophy
even regards fake plants as a help because they
remind us of the nature that surrounds us."
Daniel Perruzzi, Jr. Principal
Margulies & Associates Architects, Boston
"Plants provide relive and interest in the building."
Robert Pud'homme, AIA Principal
Robert Purd'homme Design, Ferndale Michigan
"For the clean air benefits."
Gabriel Barbier-Mueller, CEO
Harwood International, Dallas Texas
"Our entire marketing budget went into trees."
|
|
The decision to incorporate greenery into a space is multifaceted.
I interviewed a handful of architects and developers, and asked
why plants?
Plants for Health
This year Daniel Peruzzi, Principal of Margulies & Associates
in Boston, is specifying more indoor plants for his latest project
than he has ever in his 20-year career.
He is the architect for Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts'
new customer service center for in Hingham, MA. When complete,
the 100-million dollar facility is expected to earn the prestigious
LEED-Silver rating from the US Green Building Council.
Even though plants are not yet a LEED point producing element,
Peruzzi says that "building green is larger than achieving points
in the LEED system." He explains that the decision to build
a green building and the decision to specify tropical plants
stem from the same criteria - to create the most health environment
possible for employees.
"Blue cross is very concerned with the well-being their associates"
says Peruzzi. Is a priority that is also reflective in their
language, noting that blue cross refers to staff members as
"associates" rather than employees.
Blue Cross wanted features that would maximize amount of time
that an employee would spend on-site. That meant designing the
building with human interest points such as outdoor trails and
indoor plants to entice employees to stay onsite during their
lunch hour.
Like others I spoke with, Peruzzi considers exterior landscaping
to be related to the indoor experience, recognizing that expansive
views of nature outside and indoor plants share a similar function.
The building, which is nestled on a 32 Acre wooded site, is
designed to maximize as many natural views possible.
The views of the outdoors change however in the winter, especially
in Massachusetts. Conscious of the need to provide the employees
with a nice environment 365 days a year, the building boosts
an impressive cafeteria with atrium-like characteristics. Its
"a space of refuge for employees" says Peruzzi.
Overall Peruzzi says he uses plants to "plants provide relive
and interest in the building." He also uses plants to denote
"collaborative space" and "signature space."
When asked about his philosophies on specifying plants, he simply
summed up his thoughts by staying "in the right application
plants are the right thing to do."
| |
Robert Pud'homme's green home in Birmingham, Michigan.
Plantings by Planterra.
Harwood International Center,
Dallas, TX
|
Plants For Clean Air
I interviewed Robert Purd'homme during a private tour of Planterra's
greenhouse while he hand-picked foliage for his new residential
project, a green home in Birmingham, Michigan.
The trees are not only a part of the design but an integral
part of what he calls 'triple bottom line' --a philosophy that
merges the interests of the economy, community and environment.
Purd'homme explains, "the home is designed to provide the most
comfortable and healthy living environment with the smallest
environmental impact.
"The indoor trees must provide the same sensations that I am
feeling now [in Planterra's greenhouses]: relaxed, breathing
fresh air and enjoying the sights of natural green sculpture,"
says Purd'homme.
"The earth made these trees, not a factory" he continues, suggesting
that if he wanted a fourteen-foot sculpture or furniture piece
it would cost a whole lot more than a tree. He adds, "That's
the financial bottom line. We must rediscover how to responsibly
enjoy nature's gifts."
He sites the clean air benefits of plants as being the largest
factor in deciding to design permanent built-in planters into
the home's two-story solarium. Stating that even though none
of the building materials emit chemicals, he believes that the
plants will ensure optimal health and comfort for the home owner.
When asked if he felt more research on the clean-air benefits
would be useful in presenting the case he said "there is no
end to the number of studies could be performed. Research is
always good but how much is really needed? Its common knowledge
that plants clean the air -that's the reality."
Purd'home pauses at a 15' Canary Island Date Palm, Phoenix Canaries
in Planterra's greenhouse seven. The tree is actually recycled
from a shopping center project.
He stands-back and examines the tree. "The 'v' pattern in the
leaf looks like it was inspired by Frank Lloyd Wright," he says
before correcting himself, "Rather this tree species must have
inspired Frank Lloyd Wright. We all learn from nature."
Plants for "The experience."
Famous for owning the highest rent building in the world, Gabriel
Barbier-Mueller, CEO of real-estate development firm Hardwood
International, doesn't tribute his success to luck or shrewd
practices. An international Swiss-born Mr. Barbier-Mueller credits
the triumph of his properties to an unlikely ally for a developer
-- nature.
As owner of high-end buildings in Zurich, Geneva, Beverly Hills,
Dallas and London (the most expensive rent in the world is commanded
on his London property) nearly all of Harwood's buildings use
nature to enhance value.
"Location, Greenery, Architecture" in that order, summarizes
Barbier-Mueller's philosophy on what makes a property successful.
Obviously location rules real-estate but the reasons why greenery
ranks before architecture is especially noteworthy.
"Plants are meant for people to touch, where as architecture
is a backdrop," says Barbier-Mueller. He acknowledges that architects
want the façade to matter but what you "touch, feel, and hear
is often more important than what you see." Stating that good
buildings are designed to please all human senses, Barbier-Mueller
believes that plants and landscaping is best way to achieve
this goal.
"When selling an urban lifestyle, we mustn't forget that people
don't want to give up certain items" says Barbier-Mueller. The
latest addition to his flagship development, Harwood International
Center, is Azure a 31-story luxury condominium development.
He says that Azure has the suburban amenities that many don't
want to give-up such as parking and greenery. The gardens for
Azure are to be extensive; Barbier-Mueller describes it "like
having a backyard in town but better."
Harwood International Center is a campus of buildings spanning
12-city blocks and is home to companies such as Rolex, Centex,
and Jones Day Reavis. When completed, Harwood International
Center will have 5-million square feet of office, retail, and
condominiums. The next scheduled addition to the center is St.
Ann Court; a 24-story building that is said to include a large
indoor "Rockefeller-Center style" garden on the 13th floor.
The current buildings are designed to maximize exterior views
and provide usually exceptional outdoor areas for workers meet,
walk and dine. Green building aspects such as ample natural
light, views of nature, and accessibility retreat into natural
spaces are signatures of a Harwood property.
Mr. Barbier-Mueller adapted green building practices long before
the US Green Building established the LEED certification process.
Some of Barbier-Mueller's buildings have received highest Energy
Star rating from the EPA. One of Harwood's gardens, which is
located on top of a parking garage, was rated by the US Forestry
department as one of the 50 best parks in America, says Barbier-Mueller.
"Developers don't understand that that construction and landscaping
are very different." Stating that plants and landscape design
services in relation to other building costs are inexpensive.
"If landscapers wanted to be rich, they would be in a different
profession."
"Most consider landscaping to be a cherry on the top but good,
mature landscaping attracts consumers to buildings." He says
that developers often short-change themselves in bidding processes
and end-up with small out-of-scale trees and containers, which
in the end reduce the curb appeal.
"Our entire marketing budget went into trees", says Barbier-Mueller
as he describes the early development stages of the Harwood
International Center. The 12-block site that the center sits
on was actually once known as "Little Mexico," is in fact a
grouping of assembled properties.
"We changed the public perception [of the property] by getting
rid of rundown streets, planted oak groves and transformed the
property into a park." Long before a single steel beam was erected
he allowed the trees to grow and acclimate in urban Dallas.
Texans took notice when a forest arrived uptown Dallas. Barbier-Mueller
chuckles noting that the trees were not only good marketing
but also an appreciable asset.
"The trees cost about $220 when we planted them and now those
same trees are lush and mature are worth about $15,000" says
Barbier-Mueller.
Throughout our conversation Mr. Barbier-Mueller often referred
to the book, Designing Disney's Theme Parks: The Architecture
of Reassurance. He admires Disney for creating experiences that
appeal to all senses. In fact he says that his property management
department is responsible for "managing the experience."
All plants at the Harwood International Center are meant to
be touched. In certain areas, Parisian-style crushed granite
gravel was used instead of paving to emulate "the sound and
sensation of walking through a garden in France." Soothing music
is piped into the parking garage and other landscaped areas.
These Disney-esque features are those that one would expect
in tourist destination such as a Las Vegas casino, not cluster
of office building and condos. That reason alone makes Harwood
International Center particularly noteworthy interiorscapers.
As in any competitive environment, developers and owners are
seeking ways to differentiate themselves from the competition.
As demonstrated by Daniel Perruzzi, Robert Purd'homme, and Gabrille
Barbier-Mueller, enhancing the occupant's comfort with plants
is one technique.
As we are well aware, many developer and architect don't currently
consider plants for their buildings. What we can learn from
these individuals who do specify plants, is how plants can be
applied to achieve multiple development goals, such as attracting
employees to stay on-site during lunch hour, provided a healthier
environment, and command higher rent.
It is our job to identify these nuances that make plants attractive
and inform others on the benefits.
After all, "greenary does pay. We get the highest rent in the
[Dallas] Metroplex," says Barbier-Mueller.
Shane Pliska is an interior landscape design consultant and
business development manager at Planterra Corporation, West
Bloomfield, Michigan. He writes a monthly column for the trade
journal Interiorscape Magazine.
|
|
