Sustainable design solutions continue to push the envelope to usher in a better tomorrow. Below, we highlight a Sydney skyscraper crowned with green terraces and a low-scale marine research hub in Missouri that set a new precedent for sustainable design.

Atlassian
Sydney

At 40 stories, the Sydney headquarters of Australian software company Atlassian is slated to become the world’s tallest hybrid timber building upon its completion in 2025. New York firm SHoP Architects, in collaboration with Brisbane-based BVN, will also seek to leverage the city’s temperate climate to reduce carbon emissions by 50 percent over a decade. “[We created] an ecosystem that is close to nature while still being very comfortable,” says SHoP Architects principal Coren Sharples. “That is reflected in the use of natural materials like cross-laminated timber and greenery incorporated into the surroundings.” A medley of outdoor and indoor space, including planted terraces and elevated parks, will provide natural ventilation, while an electricity-generating façade system will be equipped with self-shade capabilities to reduce direct solar gain.

Marine Education Center
Ocean Springs, Mississippi

Comprising a cluster of six buildings that house exhibit and event spaces, offices, the Bayou Overlook Pavilion, a classroom and laboratory, and restrooms, the Marine Education Center brings sustainable coastal building techniques to the marine habitat. “Thinking about both acute natural disasters and longer-term issues, the team assessed materials for durability and longevity in the salty environment and implications for marine health,” says Matt Wallace, associate partner at the San Antonio office of Lake|Flato Architects, which collaborated with St. Louis firm Unabridged Architecture and Dallas-based landscape architecture practice Studio Outside on the project for the University of Southern Mississippi’s Gulf Coast Research Laboratory. “Truly resilient buildings are those that listen to the land to understand how the site can do the work for you.” Locally sourced dimensional southern yellow pine was selected as the primary construction material to unite the structures with the nearby forest, while rainscreen cladding with cement board siding and composite decking reduce corrosion and maintenance, respectively.

Atlassian rendering courtesy of SHoP Architects and BVN, and photos courtesy of Lake|Flato Architects

This article originally appeared in HD’s August 2020 issue.