Denver Botanic Gardens’ Science Pyramid: The Most Innovative Botanical Garden In The World
Denver Botanical Gardens, Denver, Colorado, USA
The Science Pyramid at Denver Botanic Gardens invites visitors to explore the relationship between people and plants, and to examine the role of biomimicry in our lives — the way the features of nature inspire ideas and actions in people. It’s not surprising then that the building has a great relationship with its surroundings. Rising to a comfortable height among the area’s ground-level structures, the angles and scale of the 34-foot-high pyramid are almost a mirror image of the Garden’s amphitheater to which it sits next.
The $6-million pyramid showcases the research being done at the gardens on contemporary botanic and environmental issues, as well as topics like global steppe climates. The pyramid’s high-performance façade is clad in 4-ft-wide, hexagonal-shaped, ventilated Swisspearl fiber-cement panels that mimic the geometric efficiency of natural wax honeycombs. Thirty 100% customized Onyx Solar BIPV hexagonal-shaped solar glass windows on the pyramids high-performance facade feature photovoltaic collectors to gather energy for interior exhibits.
These multiple Onyx Solar glass module portholes are constructed of crystalline silicon photovoltaic glass, which adjusts in opacity from clear to 97% opaque throughout the day based on solar intensity, or at the flip of a switch as the building requires.
At sundown, the windows lighten to reveal the building’s colorful interior exhibits and nearby flora.
“The completion of this extraordinary building is a dream come true,” said Brian Vogt, CEO of Denver Botanic Gardens. “Our new Science Pyramid is inspired by biomimicry, or the imitation of nature. The structure recalls the formation of the Rocky Mountains, as it represents tectonic plates crashing together. Its hexagonal, or honeycomb-inspired, exterior panels pay tribute to the world’s greatest pollinators. The remarkable scientific work of our research and conservation team will be made accessible to all through the technologically advanced exhibits inside.”
The pyramid was designed by Denver’s Burkett Design, with structural engineering work by Boulder’s Studio NYL, and built by Greenwood Village-based GH Phipps Construction Cos.
Thanks to the installation of building integrated photovoltaic solutions, Onyx Solar’s solar glass modules has led to the facility reducing 30% of its HVAC demand, with a 66% internal rate of return and a payback period of less than a year.
The flexibility in customization inherent in this ground-breaking technology has enabled this world-class facility to achieve high sustainability standards globally. Yours could be next.
Belnor Engineering, home of the Belnor IAQ Warden™, is the official multiple consecutive award-winning distributor of innovative architectural products around the globe. At the forefront of sustainability for over three decades, we specialize in laboratory & building automation & controls, IAQ & HVAC systems, renewable energy & architectural solutions, technical services, and green & healthy building consulting — building green cities one green building at a time. For more information, contact us. Don’t forget to read our Sustainability Manifesto: Decade Of 2020 while you’re at it. Cheers!
