As the built environment focuses on building analytics and automations, one structure in the middle of the Arizona desert looked beyond its integrated technologies to find additional opportunities to improve performance, maximize efficiency, and deliver natural beauty through biomimicry of desert life.
The new Pinal County Attorney’s Office in Florence, Arizona, tells the story of how a design team addressed a county’s constrained budget by condensing the building footprint and maximizing energy efficiency through biomimicry of design elements found in the desert—specifically in the saguaro cactus. Nature is not just the building element that helps people feel more connected to the outdoor environment; it can also serve as the guide for effective design strategies.
