Architecture today is not just about buildings, it’s about shaping experiences, cities, and even futures. Generally, architecture falls into two categories in terms of approaches: one which is designed to stand out and create a statement through boldness, and one which blends in so seamlessly into the lives of the user that it creates a statement in how much it impacts you without even realising it. One of the firms which believes in ever evolving in terms of using technology, advancing in construction practices and design approaches, is NBBJ, since the world is so fast-paced and the requirements and intent of architecture are also constantly changing and evolving.
The best way to understand NBBJ isn’t just through their philosophy and principles but through their projects themselves.
Amazon Spheres, Seattle
What do we think about when we think about a workspace? A large leafy campus with tall glass buildings in silos to each other, and as soon as we step in, it’s a reception for greeting and rows and a series of workstation desks. Imagine a campus which feels like you are walking into a social plaza and sitting in an open public setting in front of a glass dome nestling 40,000 plants. Once you step into the Sphere, it’s like walking into a jungle at multiple levels and experiencing a workspace which helps you stay connected to nature in its truest form right in the heart of the city of Seattle.
Amazon Spheres is one of the most iconic works of NBBJ, completed in the year 2018, and the Sphere is only 2 percent of the entire Amazon headquarters campus but has created a worldwide impact socially and rethought the way workspaces are designed and thought about. This particular project is a living version of how NBBJ’s philosophy impacts the users and the neighbourhood, as this landmark in Seattle is a statement of its own but is also open as a public space. The interior is an excellent blend with nature and efficiency in terms of workspace which stands as an example of how NBBJ creates immersive spaces which pay special attention to how spaces influence its users’ mood, daily activities and psychological dependence on space in a workplace.
Tencent Global Headquarters, Shenzhen, China
We have always experienced urban design at a ground level, and most of the workspace campuses have large spans of landscape designs catering to different functions and activities at a ground level. Tencent headquarters has a completely different approach for this. Instead of a single monolithic skyscraper, they have two towers connected through sky bridges which are termed as streetscapes. This enables both horizontal and vertical connectivity. A slight rotation of the tower and change in form captures the context’s prevailing winds, enhancing natural ventilation and minimising sunlight to the area and the sky bridges to the maximum extent.
The overall planning of the towers is very simple: one of the towers is a 50-storey building and the other is a 39-storey building, and they are linked together with 3 sky bridges.
The true impact and research approach is visible in the functions of these three sky bridges named the Cultural Link, Health Link and the Knowledge Link.
The Cultural Link, which is near the ground level, is open to the public and functions more for an urban escape range of activities. This space is connected from the first floor and contains the lobby reception area and restaurants. The design intent was to create a space for the employees to have a place in the campus which feels like they are stepping out of their office for a break and connecting more on a personal level.
The Health Link is connected at level 21 and this space shows how updated NBBJ is on the psychological needs of a new-age workspace, as this houses a running track, a gym, a stadium, a full-sized basketball court and many more spaces to keep the employees active and rejuvenated. This particular sky bridge also houses dining areas with healthy food options, exercise and fitness facilities, and even on-site doctors and therapists to create a space which focuses on the employees’ physical and mental well-being.
The Knowledge Link is connected through the 34th level, which is a bold take by NBBJ on how efficient spaces can have an outdoor integrated twist. This sky bridge houses rooftop gardens, conference rooms, an upscale dining hall, Tencent University which is a training centre, meditation rooms and a library. This represents the head of the tower which creates more exclusivity and a varied range of experiences.
From Inside NBBJ
One of the very own employees of NBBJ speaks about how employee-centric the firm runs and how forward the design thinking within the firm is. The overall vibe of the firm is very well kept up due to the transparency and appreciation of bold and new ideas across regardless of position and background.
NBBJ does not restrict themselves to any niche and they are open to exploring various challenging requirements and design briefs, but one thing is for sure—every project they have taken up has always been designed to give something back to the community and the neighbourhood. They are not very commercial by nature of the firm and take up very few projects in terms of quantity, but they all end up being the marquee projects of their time. Due to less interest in marketing itself, the firm is very well appreciated for their work and projects since the projects are iconic with global recognition.
NBBJ is ever evolving in technological innovation and staying up to date with all the new construction practices and trends in the market to create extremely accurate and efficient design solutions. Since the entire sustainability and façade design team is in-house, NBBJ pays extra attention in micro-detailing the contextual climatic condition, responding to the neighbourhood as a timeless architectural piece.
NBBJ is also very high on research. For example, in one instance they actually collaborated with a doctor to understand the neurological response of their users to their design, to create a space which actually works for them not just on paper but also in the actual senses.
Looking at all of this, what makes NBBJ interesting is that they’re not just putting up shiny towers or dramatic shapes for the sake of it. Every project feels like it’s asking, how will people actually use this? how will they feel in it? Whether it’s Amazon’s Spheres that bring a piece of the rainforest into a city office, or Tencent’s sky bridges that literally weave culture, health and knowledge into the daily life of employees, the focus is always on the experience.
They don’t do too many projects at once, but the ones they do end up shifting the conversation in design. It’s less about showing off and more about quietly changing how we think about work, cities, and community. And maybe that’s why NBBJ stands out — not because they’re trying to, but because they make architecture that actually stays with people.
