Bioswales collect rainwater and runoff feeds the on-site irrigation system. Inside, a building automation system optimizes lighting through photoelectric dimming controls, occupancy sensors, and sunshading devices.
con·gre·gate / kŏng’grĭ-gāt / (verb)
To come together; assemble, especially in large numbers. All three wings of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Center for Weather and Climate Prediction culminate at the atrium, which serves as a central space to congregate for meetings or informal conversations. The main staircases and amenities, such as the cafeteria and 500-seat auditorium, were intentionally designed as offshoots from the atrium to bring people together.
dy·nam·ic / dī-‘na-mik / (adjective)
Marked by usually continuous and productive activity or change. The sustainable features of the building, where 800 meteorologists, researchers, and other employees work 24/7 to understand and predict changes in the Earth’s environment, were incorporated to show the changing weather and seasons, creating a dynamic environment to which researchers can feel connected. The features include a five-story waterfall that flows when it rains, a kinetic sculpture against the parking garage that moves with the wind, and vegetative roofs that change with the seasons.
o·pen / ‘ō-pən / (adjective)
Relatively free of obstructions to sight, movement, or internal arrangement. Seventy percent of the interior is open to receive natural light. Northern woodland preserves lessen the structure’s sense of containment by offering views from the northern wing of the building. The north elevation’s wall of windows looks out onto a preserve, and the south elevation curtainwall, which acts as a sunscreen to reduce solar heat gain, also uses light shelves to bounce daylight into the interior.
The concrete pavers in the circular drop-off area and the walkway leading up to the facility’s entrance add to the fluid motion of the compound and naturally ease into the flora and fauna.
