Biophilic Park Building

OAK PARK, IL

TBDA designed this building as a competition entry for one of Oak Park’s parks. While it was not selected as the winning entry, it was an important project for us since we used it as an opportunity to develop our thinking and process on biophilic design.

The building program included a large space for dance classes and performances, a recording studio, and support spaces. Click here for 360 view of the lobby and central space in the building. Click here for the 360 view of the dance and performance space.

Biophilic design took shape by prioritizing connections to varied natural light (skylights and windows of varying heights and proportions), natural materials (wood is used extensively inside), and natural colors and patterns. The roof water is drained to a large water garden/pond which visually connects to an interior fountain in the lobby, creating a fascinating and calming space.

By embracing an organic shape, we were able to save the most trees of any competition entrant, and maintained an existing bermed landscape buffer to the adjacent residential neighborhood. Furthermore, the organic shape helped create the biophilic experience of prospect and refuge by avoiding straight-line corridor type experiences.

Exterior cladding included brick salvaged from the previous building, and inexpensive wood cladding cut into unique shapes to create an effect analogous to tree bark.

The building was designed with low-embodied carbon materials, was designed to achieve Phius energy efficiency, and supported a solar PV array that easily could achieve net zero energy on site.