In 2013, Thom Mayne helped design the Perot Museum of Nature and Science in Dallas, TX.
The building was designed to inspire awareness of science through an immersive and interactive environment. The way the building is shaped makes it come off as a floating cube over a landscape.
The building integrates a variety of sustainability including a rainwater collection system that captures run-off water from the roof and parking lot. The building has secured from the Green Building Initiative the highest possible 4 Green Globes. It obtained a rating of an overall 85% on the Green Globes rating scale and 100% for its design and its sustainable performance measures.
The building features a 54-foot continuous flow escalator housed within a 150-foot glass casing that extends diagonally outside the building cube. To maximize sustainability, the building also features LED lighting, off-grid energy generation technology and solar-powered water heating.
The Perot Museum of Nature and Science makes me feel curious to learn more, which I believe is a good thing considering it’s a museum of nature and science. The materials of the building are a bit different from what I believe people are used to Thomas Mayne using, but the unique shape captures his style perfectly. I like how the building looks at night as well, it is a building which stands out both light and day. I hope I have the chance to visit and experience a Thomas Mayne building in person.
-Austin Branch