ABSTRACT
Studio 804 has finished eight buildings that achieved US Green Building Council Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Platinum certification. Galileo's Pavilion, inspired by Dale Eldred's sculpture Galileo's Garden, shares the mission of raising awareness about the cycles of nature and how they interact with the built environment. For Galileo's Pavilion, Studio 804 took more leadership in the wall design, installation, and plant selection. The streamlined approach and the opportunity to expand on the sustainable strategies the authors explored in the Center for Design Research (CDR) convinced that the project is worth the challenges and risks. This project is one of the most challenging to date, but in the end the authors feel it is an example of how design, high performance, sustainability, and the forces of nature can be combined to create something that is beautiful and functional.
