Jeff Bezos opens Amazon’s new 4 billion dollar ‘rainforest’ office
Popular E-commerce site Amazon lived upto its name quite literally. Amazon’s newest office officially known as the Spheres complex, three glass dome structures housing 400 different species of plants with more than 40,000 growing within Amazon’s expanded offices was opened by its CEO Jeff Bezos. The revealing of the new Sphere Complex comes after the world’s largest online retailer spent seven years planning and constructing a cutting-edge space that it hopes will help spark its employees’ creativity. Rather than the usual mix of closed hallways and traditional conference rooms, the space features winding walkways that lead to hidden nooks and open spaces peppered with tables and chairs. And this being a tech office, the wifi is even accessible in “the nest”—a meeting space ensconced in a wooden structure that resembles a bird’s nest.
Amazon rainforest now in Seatle
Built using a steel frame and laminated glass, there are 2,643 panels required for each sphere. Heat is reflected off the panels but allows the proper wavelengths of light through to allow for plant growth. The four story complex boasts a 60-foot tall green wall comprised of 200 unique plant species.
In order to maintain an extravagant greenhouse that doubles as an office building, temperatures are kept moderately warm at 72 degrees during the day with 60 percent humidity. At night, temperatures can drop down to 55 degrees while the humidity climbs up to 85 percent.
Besides the actual greenery found inside, environmentally friendly efforts also include using heat from a nearby data center to help warm the building. Heat is run through pipes in the building’s concrete floors and is pushed through handrails on higher floors, presumably to avoid condensation.
