DESCRIPTION

Tableau, a software company out of Seattle, searched for a design to fill its open courtyard located in the center of their new office building. Tableau reached out to Seattle’s Gensler office, seeking a design that would establish an identity to the building and a unique personal experience as one moves through the space.

Given just a week, the proposed design breaks down the shapes and experiences of a pacific northwest rainforest and formulates them into a simple abstraction. The goal of this design is to formulate a sense of identity to the building and to each floor, and to create a unique experience when walking though the courtyard while also establishing a sense of privacy in the office. As one ascends the installation, the trees begin to connect forming a canopy overhead. This establishes a unique view of the installation from each floor, creating floor identity. The abstractions are colored orange to match Tableau’s color palette and provide a pop of color to the space. The vertical tree abstractions break the horizontal gaze across the courtyard from each floor, providing privacy as well as visual stimulation. Upon rainfall, the metal tree canopy provides an audible experience to parallel that of a real rainforest.