If you’ve ever dreamed of working in a lush, greenery-filled dome, consider moving to Seattle. That’s where Amazon is building a biosphere (made out of three intersecting domes) alongside a new skyscraper project. Plans for the 65,000 square foot structure, unveiled earlier this month, call for a general temperature range of 68 to 72 degrees and plants from high-elevation climates (that’s the "montane ecologies" below) that can thrive in the weather. 
 
 From Amazon’s planning document: 
 
 
 
 While the form of the building will be visually reminiscent of a greenhouse or conservatory, plant material will be selected for its ability to co-exist in a microclimate that also suits people. To encourage growth and maintain the health of the plants, the building’s interior will include high bay spaces on five floors totaling approximately 65,000 SF and capable of accommodating mature trees. The exterior enclosure will be highly transparent and be composed primarily of multiple layers of glass supported by a metal framework. In addition to a variety of workplace environments, the facility will incorporate dining, meeting and lounge spaces, as well as a variety of botanical zones modeled on montane ecologies found around the globe. 
 
 NBBJ 
 
 Not everyone is thrilled about the dome. Gundula Proksch, an assistant professor of architecture at the University of Washington and a member of Seattle’s design review board, asked the Seattle Times, "What is it offering other than making an experimental work environment?" The obvious answer: it’s an architectural attraction, something different from the uniform buildings surrounding it. Seattle already has the greenest office building in the world. Why not add a biosphere? 
 
 It’s an experimental work environment, sure, but it’s not all that different from how tech companies like Google and Facebook are building green roofs for their employees to enjoy. Facebook’s roof will even have hiking trails. In rainy Seattle, an indoor biosphere might be preferable. 
 
 And somewhere, Pauly Shore is smiling. 
 
 Slideshow Credits: 01 / NBBJ; 02 / NBBJ; 03 / NBBJ; 04 / NBBJ; 05 / NBBJ; ||||| Rufus 2. 
 
 0 - Block 19 
 
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 Project #3015022 DRB Recommendation Meeting #1 May 21, 2013 
 
 Table of Contents 1 Purpose of Recommendation Meeting #1......................... 2 
 
 
 
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 Purpose of Recommendation Meeting #1 
 
 Goals for Session The intent behind the new design shown in the MUP revision is to create an alternative environment on Block 19, in the center of the 3 block development where employees can work and socialize in a more natural, park-like setting. The generative idea is that a plant-rich environment has many positive qualities that are not often found in a typical office setting. Therefore, the MUP revision modifies the low rise office building from a six story 84,000 SF rectilinear structure to a series of intersecting spheres with ample space for a wide range of planting material, as well as individuals working alone or in groups. While the form of the building will be visually reminiscent of a greenhouse or conservatory, plant material will be selected for its ability to co-exist in a microclimate that also suits people. To encourage growth and maintain the health of the plants, the building’s interior will include high bay spaces on five floors totaling approximately 65,000 SF and capable of accommodating mature trees. The exterior enclosure will be highly transparent and be composed primarily of multiple layers of glass supported by a metal framework. In addition to a variety of workplace environments, the facility will incorporate dining, meeting and lounge spaces, as well as a variety of botanical zones modeled on montane ecologies found around the globe. The building will be anchored at either end by publically accessible retail spaces entered from 6th and 7th Avenues. With its revised geometry, the low-rise building on Block 19 enhances the streetscape along Lenora Street, 6th Avenue and 7th Avenue by providing landscaping and paved areas between the building and sidewalk. Due to its lower height, it also has a positive impact on the adjacent midblock open space by reducing shadow and shade impacts as well as widening the entrances along 6th and 7th Avenue to the Public Plaza and Commercial Parcel Park. No new design departures will be sought for the revised design. We are also not seeking the Board’s recommendation for approval of our revised design at this meeting. We look forward to your questions and guidance and intend to seek approval at our next recommendation meeting. Note that the massing and design of the elevations of the high-rise office tower will conform to the approved design guidelines established during the initial MUP. 
 
 2 Block 19 ........................................................................ 3 
 
 Masterplan Aerial View Open Space Aerial View Three-Block Site Plan Concepts Design Guideline Priorities Model Photographs Precedents Site Access Diagram Enlarged Site Plan Plans Sections Elevations Street Level Views Open Space / Landscape Design Tower and Podium Development 
 
 APPENDIX .......................................................................32 
 
 Summary of Previously Granted Departures 32 
 
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 Block 19 Masterplan Aerial View - Proposed Design 
 
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 Block 19 Open Space Aerial View - Previously Approved 
 
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 Block 19 Open Space Aerial View - Proposed Design 
 
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 Block 19 Three-Block Site Plan 
 
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 WORKPLACE & NATURE 
 
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 Generative Idea 
 
 WORKPLACE 
 
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 Optimizing For Flow And Solar Orientation 
 
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 How Downtown Design Guideline Priorities from the EDG are Addressed Block 19 
 
 How the Proposed Design Address Prioritized Design Guidelines: 
 
 A. Site Planning and Massing- Responding to the Larger Context A-1 Respond to the physical environment: • The modifications to the low-rise office building on Block 19 strive for an innovative and bold design that will be highly visible from all sides. Its distinctive appearance and location at the geographic center of the planned three block development establishes a new visual focus and “heart” for the three block project. A-2 Enhance the skyline: • The proposed design revision does not affect the highrise tower, so the skyline view would not change. However, the bold, curvilinear profile of the low office building promotes visual interest and adds to the variety of building form in the growing neighborhood. The revised building form and enhanced transparency effectively contrasts with the rectilinear massing and relative opaqueness of the adjacent office and residential towers. B. Architectural Expression – Relating to the Neighborhood Context B-1 Respond to the Neighborhood Context: • The overall project massing remains responsive to the existing and future context of the site. The reduced height of the low building permits more daylight to penetrate into the public open space at the center of Block 19, as well as adjacent streets. The curvilinear form sets it apart from its immediate surroundings and consciously avoids the look of a typical corporate office building. B-4 Design a Well Proportioned and Unified Building: • Massing and scale transitions between each block and within Block 19 are maintained, and are now further enhanced by the new design. The spherical form of the low building is driven by the very different spatial requirements of large scale interior planting that includes trees and a variety of ecological zones. • The intersecting spheres appear to emerge out of the ground and house the garden and work spaces in the most efficient geometric form for enclosing a specified volume. The low building is composed of three volumes with the largest volume 
 
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 in the center and the two smaller volumes at the ends, so that the overall mass steps down towards the perimeter of the site. C. The Streetscape- Creating the Pedestrian Environment C-1 Promote Pedestrian Interaction : • With its revised geometry, the low-rise building on Block 19 enhances the streetscape along Lenora Street, 6th Avenue and 7th Avenue by providing increased landscaping and wider sidewalks between the building and sidewalk. It is important to note that Lenora Street east of Westlake Ave is a designated Green Street. This green street environment will be extended to the West and strengthened with the proposed Lenora Shared use Street concept at Block 20 between Westlake and 7th Ave, the narrowing of Lenora Street, and the proposed landscape treatment at Block 19. • Retail uses are now located not only along 7th Avenue and Lenora Street, but also along 6th Avenue, activating the two ends of the building and the street corners with spaces that are publically accessible. C-2 Design a Façade of Many Scales: • The fenestration pattern of the low building is composed primarily of multiple layers of clear glass supported by a metal framework that can be perceived at multiple scales. When viewed close up, what appears as a homogenous skin stretched over the curved forms is perceived to be composed of a repeatable module that comprises the form of the entire building. Given the building’s highly transparent quality, the glazing system and pattern will fully integrated with the structural system that supports it, exposing the building tectonics to view, inside and out. C-3 Provide Active-Not Blank Facades: • The low building will offer a high degree of transparency that allows great visual access into the high bay spaces and lush garden environment that will distinguish the interior spaces. Retail uses along 6th, 7th and Lenora will activate both the surrounding streets and the midblock open space. C-4 Reinforce Building Entries: • Retail entrances into the low-rise building will be located at the street corners and mid-block on Lenora. The main office building entries are set back a short distance from the Avenues within the public open spaces. They are visually separated from the retail entries and are used to help activate the open space as well as to bring attention to the through-block pedestrian connection. 
 
 C-5 Encourage Overhead Weather Protection: • The canopy structure connecting the lobby of the office tower along 6th Avenue to the low office building frames the opening into the midblock open space and has been expanded to include a publically accessible trellised area suitable for seating. D. Public Amenities - Enhancing the Streetscape and Open Space D-1 Provide Inviting and Usable Open Space: • The proposed design revision maintains the key elements of the ground level open space concepts while improving upon the integration of the building uses with the open space and streetscape. The key open space elements include the playfield, off-leash dog park, and an accessible path through the site and a weather protected walkway between the buildings. Both street corners are now activated by ground level retail off public plazas with highly transparent storefronts. The entrances from 6th and 7th Avenue to the central public open space at midblock are wider than in the approved MUP and the design maintains an accessible through-block pedestrian connection. Solar access to the ground plane is much improved in the new design due to the spherical form and graduated height of the low building. Planters, benches, landscaping, walls and other street elements are designed to allow visibility into and out of the open space. D-2 Enhance the Building with Landscaping: • Generous landscaping and paved areas will also be designed for the space between the low building and the sidewalk along Lenora, 6th and 7th Avenue. The high transparency and conservatory quality of the revised low-rise building will visually extend the areas of planting, as well as expand the type and scale of planted material. As mentioned under C-1, the enhanced landscape treatment also acts as a natural extension of the designated Green Street East of Westlake Ave. D-3 Provide Elements that Define the Place: • The play field and a dog park, which are open to the public anchor the midblock open space and remain key elements of the design. Seating areas are still provided in the form of terraced ledges and benches that line the playfield in the midblock public open space. Distinctive landscaping will be provided to add texture such as specimen trees and varieties of low plantings. D-4 Provide Appropriate Signage: 
 
 • As before, signage will be designed to unify the three block project as a whole, facilitate rapid orientation and add interest to the street level environment. D-5 Provide Adequate Lighting: • Architectural features of the building (e.g., entries, signage, canopies) are illuminated in a distinctive way. Outdoor spaces and pathways will be lit for safety at all hours while incorporating cut-offs to limit light pollution from outdoor light fixtures. Light from the revised low-rise structure will be controlled by interior screening. D-6 Design for personal safety and security: • As before, spaces where public access can occur are designed based on the basic principles of Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design including: •Well-lit paths and walkways; •Locating garage elevators so that they discharge into the lower level public lobby rather than the lobby of the office towers; •Site lighting that limits areas cast in shadow; •Windows that permit a high degree of visibility into and from the building lobbies; •Designing paths between buildings to increase foot traffic in exterior public areas. E. Vehicular Access and Parking – Minimize the Adverse Impacts E-1 Minimize Curb Cut Impacts: • The number, size and location of curb cuts and vehicular entrances remains unchanged. The garage driveway entrances remain on Lenora Street and 6th Avenue. The loading entrance is still on Blanchard. E-3 Minimize the presence of service areas (DRB priority): • This remains unchanged. There is no access to loading or the garage from 7th Avenue where the cycle track and a primary pedestrian walkway are proposed. 
 
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 Block 19 Model Photographs 
 
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 Block 19 Precedent Images 
 
 Convention Center - Ottowa, Canada 
 
 Mitchel Park Conservatory - Milwaukee, USA 
 
 Renzo Piano - “Bolla” Genoa, Italy 
 
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 The Royal Greenhouses of Laeken - Brussels, Belgium 
 
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 Block 19 Precedent Images 
 
 National Botanic Garden of Wales - St Austell, UK 
 
 Zoo - Leipzig, Germany 
 
 Gardens by the Bay - Singapore 
 
 Nabana-No-Sato - Nagashima, Japan 
 
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 Project #3015022 DRB Recommendation Meeting #1 May 21, 2013 
 
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 Block 19 Site Access Diagram 
 
 Retail Lobby Retail Entry Primary Building Entry Secondary Building Entry Garage Elevator Entry Service Vehicle Entry Parking Garage Entry 
 
 Previous Site Access Composite Levels G&1 
 
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 Project #3015022 DRB Recommendation Meeting #1 May 21, 2013 
 
 Virginia Street 
 
 Proposed Site Access Composite Levels G&1 
 
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 Block 19 Site Plan - Level 1 
 
 Canopies Accessible Route of Travel Bicycle Access 
 
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 Block 19 Plans - Level G and 1 
 
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 Block 19 North / South Section Along Lenora Street 
 
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 Block 19 East / West Section Through Midblock Open Space 
 
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 Block 19 North Elevation - 7th Avenue 
 
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 Block 19 South Elevation - 6th Avenue 
 
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 Block 19 East Elevation - Lenora Street 
 
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 Block 19 West Elevation - Midblock Open Space 
 
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 Block 19 View Along 6th Avenue - Previously Approved 
 
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 Block 19 View Along 6th Avenue - Proposed Design 
 
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 Block 19 View Looking West from Intersection of 7th Avenue & Lenora Street 
 
 © Studio 216 
 
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 Block 19 View Looking Southeast along 6th Avenue 
 
 © Studio 216 
 
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 Block 19 View Looking Southwest from 7th Avenue 
 
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 Multi-Generational Open Spaces 
 
 Inspirational Images 
 
 Block 14: Art 
 
 Block 19: Playfield 
 
 Block 20: Water Feature 
 
 Block 14: Lighting 
 
 Block 19:Dog Park 
 
 Block 20: Gardens 
 
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 Block 19 Tower and Podium - Previously Approved 
 
 Previous Elevation - Blanchard St. 
 
 Previous Elevation - 6th Avenue 
 
 Previous Elevation - 6th Avenue Previous Elevation - Midblock Open Space 
 
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 Previous Elevation - 7th Avenue 
 
 Project #3015022 DRB Recommendation Meeting #1 May 21, 2013 
 
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 Block 19 Tower and Podium Development - Proposed Design 
 
 View From 7th Ave. and Westlake 
 
 View From 7th Ave. and Blanchard - Green Street and Loading Dock Character 
 
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 Project #3015022 DRB Recommendation Meeting #1 May 21, 2013 
 
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 Block 19 Tower and Podium Development - Proposed Design 
 
 View From Lenora - Render View & Massing Concept 
 
 View From 7th Ave. and Blanchard - Render View & Massing Concept 
 
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 Block 19 Tower and Podium Development - Proposed Design 
 
 View From 6th Ave. and Blanchard - Render View & Massing Concept 
 
 View From 6th Ave. and Lenora - Render View & Massing Concept 
 
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 Project #3015022 DRB Recommendation Meeting #1 May 21, 2013 
 
 APPENDIX 
 
 Item# Development Standard 
 
 Summary of Development Standard Departures - Previously Granted 
 
 Summary of Potential Development Standard Departures Block 19 
 
 Requirement Departure Amount Requested Rationale Downtown Design Guidelines Affected A‐1 Respond to the physical environment A‐2 Enhance the skyline B‐4 Design a Well Proportioned and Unified Building Diagram 
 
 1 
 
 This departure would permit the façade length of the tall office The maximum length of a facade without The maximum length of a facade without modulation located within SMC 23.49.056.B.2 Upper tower along Seventh Avenue to continue uninterrupted from modulation located within 15 feet of a property 15 feet of a property line is requested to be up to 90 feet long for Level Development level 4 all the way up to the top of the building, permitting the line is 80 feet long for the portion of a façade that the portion of a façade that is above an elevation of 500 feet. Standards structure to more appropriately meet the sky is above an elevation of 500 feet. 
 
 See Diagram 1 
 
 Previously Approved 
 
 2 
 
 SMC 23.49.058.F Upper Level Setbacks 
 
 Under Upper Level Setbacks in DOC‐2, along a designated green street, a continuous upper level setback of 15 feet shall be provided on the street frontage abutting the green street at a height of 45 feet. 
 
 We request a departure to permit an architectural element that is approx. 18 inches thick to intrude into the upper level setback zone at an elevation 45 feet above sidewalk level. This element is 5 feet This architectural element will permit a major horizontal architectural feature of the façade to continue uninterrupted deep and will be set back 10 feet from the street property line. It will extend 5'‐6" into the upper level setback zone above 45 feet at along the entire length of Blanchard Street. the corner of Blanchard and Seventh Avenue and taper down to zero feet for a running distance of 112 feet along Blanchard. 
 
 B‐2 Create a transition in bulk and scale B‐4 Design an well proportioned and unified building C‐2 Design a façade of many scales C‐3 Provide active‐not blank facades 
 
 See Diagram 2 
 
 Previously Approved; Not Required with Proposed Design 
 
 3 
 
 On Block 19 at the main loading dock, two 10' x 35' deep loading berths and two 10' x 25' deep loading berths will be provided. A C‐1 Promote pedestrian interaction. design departure is requested to permit six loading berths to be van SMC 23.54.035.C.2 Loading The standard length of a loading berth shall be 10 A study of dock capacity and loading requirements has been C‐3 Provide active not blank facades sized spaces measuring 8'‐6" x 19'‐0'. We further request that one Berth Requirements and feet x 35 feet. prepared by Heffron Transportation dated May 17, 2012 to Space Standards additional van size stall measuring 8'‐6" x 19'‐0" and located on support the following: level P1 of the garage be provided to service the retail spaces on each block. ‐ 9 loading berths would adequate serve the peak office demand at each of the buildings. ‐ 5 (or more) of those spaces could be reduced in size. ‐ If the building were ever converted to a multi‐tenant building, the loading dock is still adequate (and in fact would probably be oversized). 
 
 A high percentage of the deliveries made to Amazon buildings are done by carriers such as Apex, UPS which smaller vans that do not require standard loading berths sized at 10' x 35'. This will enable to loading dock to be sized more efficiently to meet the true loading demands of the building user. A more compact loading dock will also permit more space for uses such as retail at the ground level. 
 
 See Diagram 3A for layout of loading dock on Block 19. See Diagrams 3B for proposed location of van parking stall for retail loading on P1 level of the garage on Block 20. 
 
 Previously Approved 
 
 4 
 
 SMC 23.49.056.B.2.b General Setback Limits 
 
 The maximum area of all setbacks between the street lot line and facade along each street frontage of a lot shall not exceed the area derived Departure requested to exceed the averaging factor of 10 along by multiplying the averaging factor by the width of Lenora Street and a portion of 6th and 7th Avenue. 6th Ave AF = the street frontage of the structure along that 29.8 7th Ave AF = 36.7 street (see Exhibit D for 23.49.056). The averaging factor is five on Class I pedestrian streets and ten on Class II pedestrian streets and designated green streets. 
 
 The curvilinear volume of the Low‐office Building provides a dramatic and interesting visual form along 6th, 7th Ave and Lenora but does not conform to the flat plane along the street property line against which the facade setbacks are measured. 
 
 A‐2 Enhance the skyline B‐2 Create a transition in bulk and scale C‐2 Design a façade of many scales 
 
 See Diagram 4 
 
 32 
 
 5 
 
 SMC 23.49.056.B.2.d General Setback Limits 
 
 Project #3015022 DRB Recommendation Meeting #1 May 21, 2013 
 
 The curvilinear volume of the Low‐office Building provides a dramatic and interesting visual form along 6th, 7th Ave and The maximum setback of the facade from the Departure requested to setback façade more than 10 feet within 20 Lenora . However, it does not conform to the filling‐in of the street lot lines at intersections is 10 feet. The feet of the intersections at 6th and Lenora and 7th and Lenora. rectilinear space at the corner of the site within 20' of the minimum distance the facade must conform to this intersection against which the facade setbacks are measured. limit is 20 feet along each street. (See Exhibit E for 23.49.056.) 
 
 A‐2 Enhance the skyline B‐2 Create a transition in bulk and scale C‐2 Design a façade of many scales 
 
 See Diagram 5 ||||| Originally published May 21, 2013 at 9:30 AM | Page modified May 22, 2013 at 12:52 PM 
 
 Corrected version 
 
 The three glass-and-steel spheres Amazon.com has proposed as the “heart” of its high-rise complex in Seattle’s Denny Triangle drew mixed reviews Tuesday. 
 
 Glass orbs. 
 
 Planet Earth. 
 
 Fly eyes. 
 
 Whatever you make of them, the three glass-and-steel spheres Amazon.com has proposed as the “heart” of its high-rise complex in Seattle’s Denny Triangle drew instant reaction Tuesday from online commenters and at a public hearing before a city design review board. 
 
 The structure would feature five floors of flexible work space totaling 65,000 square feet and would be “capable of accommodating mature trees,” according to plans filed with the city. The spheres would range in height from 80 feet to 95 feet. 
 
 “There’s something optimistic, forward-looking, experimental, exciting, whimsical about this building,” said Gabe Grant, a review board member who is vice president of Seattle-based HAL Real Estate Investments. 
 
 Mathew Albores, an architect on the board, wasn’t impressed. For pedestrians on the sidewalk, the spheres offer a similar urban experience to the EMP Museum and the Seattle Public Library, with scarce retail and no overhead rain protection, he said. And why, he asked, have more trees inside the spheres where the public won’t be allowed than outside in the adjacent public space? 
 
 Amazon wants to build a total 3.3 million square feet of office space on the three blocks it bought in December 2012 for $207.5 million. If completed, the development would be downtown’s largest ever. 
 
 Amazon’s campus, which the company has nicknamed “Rufus 2.0” after a former employee’s dog, would feature six buildings on each block: three 37- or 38-story high-rise towers and three smaller buildings — one of which would be the spheres. 
 
 The spheres would feature plants from high-elevation climates around the world that can thrive in an office kept between 68 and 72 degrees Fahrenheit. At night, the temperature in the building would be lowered and the humidity raised so the plants are comfortable, said John Savo, a principal at NBBJ, Amazon’s architect on the project. 
 
 The glazed glass-and-steel structure would be on the block between Sixth and Seventh avenues and between Blanchard and Lenora streets. Previously, Amazon had proposed a six-story rectangular office building there. 
 
 “We all know what a typical office space is like,” said Savo. “Wouldn’t it be cool to go into a building that’s more like a park and be comfortable?” 
 
 The architects sought to create an experimental work space that’s an amenity for all Amazon employees, he explained to the review board: It’s a place where individuals, teams or departments can go to brainstorm. Think treehouse offices. 
 
 But it’s not envisioned as a place for the public to roam, except to look in from the outside, he said. Retail spaces on Sixth and Seventh avenues would be open to the public, however. 
 
 There will also be public open spaces, such as a play field and dog park, in between the spheres and the office tower next door on what Amazon calls “Block 19.” 
 
 Amazon.com expects to finish that block by late 2016, he said. 
 
 The largest dome would be 130 feet in diameter, the smallest about 80 feet in diameter. 
 
 NBBJ’s team showed photos of conservatories and gardens around the world during Tuesday’s hearing, including: 
 
 • Ottawa’s Convention Center, an oval glass building that opened in April 2011. 
 
 • Milwaukee’s Mitchell Park Conservatory, three aluminum-and-glass domes covering one acre that opened in the 1960s. 
 
 • A waterfront biosphere named “La Bolla” in Genoa, Italy. 
 
 • The Royal Greenhouses of Laeken in Brussels, Belgium, a 6-acre attraction. 
 
 • Singapore’s Gardens by the Bay, a 250-acre park on reclaimed land that opened last summer. 
 
 • Nabana no Sato, a botanical garden on the island of Nagashima in Japan. 
 
 “We’re not building on the scale of Gardens by the Bay in Singapore, but we’re inspired by this imagery,” Savo said. 
 
 Design review board member Gundula Proksch, an assistant professor of architecture at the University of Washington, said greenhouses can be “very energy intensive” year-round and seemed unsatisfied by NBBJ’s assertions that the building would seek LEED Gold certification, a designation by the U.S. Green Building Council. 
 
 Biospheres aren’t new, Proksch said. 
 
 “What is it offering other than making an experimental work environment?” she asked. 
 
 It’s better than the boxy building Amazon had previously proposed, Savo said. 
 
 The striking glass biospheres would be a refreshing departure from the “very vanilla” buildings typical of Seattle’s urban landscape, said local developer Kevin Daniels. 
 
 “Most of our buildings have been designed by bean-counters,” he said. Around the world, but especially in China and the Middle East, “there are such exceptional architectural designs that are improving the cities they reside in, and we have very little of that here.” 
 
 Daniels said Amazon “has taken the time to really look at how they can improve the neighborhood and city by using architectural design.” 
 
 The proposed spheres, intended to give employees a place to “work and socialize in a more natural, parklike setting” but undoubtedly also to stand out amid downtown’s towers, do seem contrary to Amazon’s traditional low profile. 
 
 Its South Lake Union headquarters has not a single “Amazon” sign or logo on the outside. 
 
 There was no Amazon logo apparent in the renderings of the spheres either. 
 
 But perhaps the very idea of having a selection of the world’s plants gathered under three large temperature-controlled domes is enough to signal this is no wallflower. 
 
 “We’re striving to create an environment in which to work and think a little differently,” Savo said. 
 
 Seattle Times business reporter Amy Martinez contributed to this report. 
 
 Sanjay Bhatt: 206-464-3103 or sbhatt@seattletimes.com On Twitter @sbhatt 
 
 This story, published May 21, 2013, was updated May 22 to clarify comments by architect Mathew Albores. He said the pedestrian experience, not the style, of the Amazon spheres would be similar to that of the EMP Museum and the Seattle Public Library.
– Amazon has big plans for its new campus. Big, sphere-shaped plans. The company revealed earlier this month that it will build a biosphere in Seattle, a 65,000-square-foot structure made up of three domes, where the temperature will always be a perfect 68 to 72 degrees, Fast Company reports. The planning document says the biosphere "will be visually reminiscent of a greenhouse or conservatory," and will be able to house "mature trees." The 80- to 95-foot-high glass-and-steel structures will also incorporate "dining, meeting, and lounge spaces" on their five floors of workspace. There will be other, not-as-eye-catching buildings, too: The Seattle Times reports that Amazon purchased three downtown blocks last year, and wants to build 3.3 million square feet of office space there, including a few high-rises in the 37- to 38-floor range. Scribd has the proposal and a picture.