A Greenhouse Getaway
Anyone who works in a greenhouse knows that it can be a peaceful place to escape the everyday craziness. Obviously, that doesn’t happen during the peak season, but I’m sure there are times when you want to get away from it all and find that Zen moment among the plants in the greenhouse.
The folks at Amazon.com are creating this type of a respite for its employees as part of the company’s headquarters in the heart of downtown Seattle.
The company is building three greenhouse structures where employees can go when they need to chill out or recharge their inner batteries. The employee-only tri-sphere biodomes are currently under construction, but when they are finished Amazon execs hope they will provide the right atmosphere to grow new ideas.
The lead architect on the project is Dale Alberda. He recently told the New York Times one of the goals of the greenhouses is to inspire employees and “think more creatively, maybe come up with a new idea they wouldn’t have if they were just in their office.”
He says that a plant-filled environment really “enhances your ability to think.”
The controlled climate will be kept at 72° F with 60 percent humidity during the day and 55° F with 85 percent humidity at night — an ideal atmosphere for plants they have planned for the biodomes.
The facility’s in-house horticulturist is currently growing more than 3,000 different types of plants in greenhouses in the suburbs of Seattle. They will be moved to the facility next spring and ready to go when it opens in 2018. Among the plants are rare and endangered species that have been donated to Amazon from different growers and botanical gardens around the world.
Some of the other plant life that will be included are a five-story living wall, 40 to 50 trees including a 45-foot tall fig tree, an indoor creek and more that are still being planned.
We all know great things can happen in a greenhouse so it will be very interesting to see what happens in the greenhouses at Amazon.com.
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