Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew: Davies Alpine House
This new Alpine House at Kew provides a sustainable, energy-efficient growing environment for a world-renowned collection of alpine plants. It is comparable to the innovative, high-quality greenhouses traditional to Kew and, as the first new glasshouse to be commissioned for nearly 20 years, will raise the profile of the alpine collection and create a new focal point for this part of the site. The glasshouse is conceived as two back-to-back arches which create a stack effect to draw warm air out of the building. Below ground level, air is pushed into a concrete labyrinth for cooling, and then recirculated around the perimeter of the house via a series of displacement pipes. Further environmental control is provided by a unique shading solution based on a fan-like form similar to a peacock’s tail.
- Date:
- Completed 2005
- Location:
- London, UK
- Client:
- Royal Botanic Gardens Kew
- Value:
- £1 million
- Type:
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- Theme:
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- Ideas:
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- Link:
- www.kew.org