June 1, 2017 — Weber Thompson received an Honorable Mention for their conceptual project, RainBellows, in the 2017 Eleven Magazine Biomimicry Design Competition. The project, developed by Weber Thompson’s Landscape Studio in collaboration with Alexandra Ramsden of Rushing and Jennifer Barnes of 55-5 Consulting as part of their work with the Seattle Urban Greenprint Project, competed with 71 teams from all over the globe. Proposals for the competition ranged from fashion and architecture to product design and urban systems.
RainBellows is an architectural solution utilizing building facades to clean and store stormwater for reuse. Inspired by the form and function of the Ice Plant, Mesembryanthemum crystallinum, RainBellows showcases its storage capacity by expanding the exterior skin of a building until water is needed.
“Our basis for design is a highly-sustainable commercial building in Seattle, Washington,” said Weber Thompson Landscape Architecture Principal, Rachael Meyer. “The goal was to integrate stormwater cleaning, storage, and reuse into the building façade using essential building materials via methodology that could be replicated on future projects. The unique cellular structure of the Ice Plant provides the inspiration of filtering, storing, and reusing water through the specialized cellular layers of the plant. By designing a building to mimic the Ice Plant’s function, we optimize the use of water that falls on a site by increasing the functionality of the building membrane.”
Eleven Magazine is an architecture-design-lifestyle magazine dedicated to design-led innovation. They create award-winning international competitions and publish articles on the industry’s most notable people, places, ideas and designs. The Biomimicry Competition jury consisted of seven biomimicry experts from around the world who judged each project on criteria of concept, execution, feasibility, innovation, aesthetics and presentation.
About Rushing
Company Rushing is a Seattle-based sustainability consulting and MEP engineering firm, which also offers the complementary services of energy analysis, commissioning, and lighting design.
About 55-5 Consulting
Based in Seattle, 55-5 Consulting provides site consulting and design services for clients who want to pursue deep green sustainability with an ecological focus.
About Weber Thompson
Seattle-based Weber Thompson is a full service, West coast design firm specializing in architecture, interior design, landscape architecture and community/urban design. This award winning company has a staff of more than 70 design and construction professionals, housed in the celebrated Terry Thomas, a LEED NC Gold certified office building in South Lake Union. Since 1988, Weber Thompson has developed a diverse practice with projects that include high-rises, high-density urban infill, residential, hospitality, affordable housing and commercial office projects. Weber Thompson seeks effective results through a thoughtful and collaborative design process. For more information go to www.weberthompson.com or contact Weber Thompson at (206) 344-5700 or info@weberthompson.com.
