School of Architecture I-CARES Professor

Depicted above is the main entrance lobby of the Genzyme Center, a biotechnology company in Boston, Massachusetts. Designed by Behnisch Architects, the firm of School of Architecture I-CARES Professor, Christof Jantzen, the building maximizes natural light and views throughout the interior and includes 18 indoor gardens and accessible outdoor patios. (credit: Anton Grassi)

The 12-story atrium of the Genzyme Center includes a system of moveable and fixed mirrors, skylight louvers, light-scattering chandeliers, and other reflective finishing materials designed to bounce light deep into work areas. Seven heliostats--mirrors—on the roof of the building track the sun and redirect it through a skylight and down onto prismatic louvers of multifaceted glass. The louvers diffuse the light and send it along polished-aluminum panels, through adjustable reflective vertical blinds, and cascading onto a glass chandelier that throws rainbows throughout the space; ultimately, the light is caught by a series of stainless steel--lined reflecting pools in the lobby. (credit: Anton Grassi)



"I believe that we are charged with making a balanced, considered response to resolving the respectful tempering of the natural environment – based on local cultural and climatic conditions – with the necessity of providing shelter…My belief is that high-quality built environments can be realized with less consumption of natural resources."

Professor Christof Jantzen, School of Architecture I-CARES Professor is currently teaching Architectural Design III at Washington University. As a founding partner for the offices of Behnisch Architects in the United States, his attention is dedicated to discovering and implementing innovative solutions for sustainable architecture. His current work with Behnisch includes the Park Street Laboratory Building for the Yale-New Haven Hospital, as well as the “House of the Future” for IIT, and the Anna Head Student Housing Project at UC Berkeley.