EC3 unveils “Crystal Barn” as part of the Idaho Net Zero Orchard Park campus

Reinventing shopping malls for the post-pandemic world

Los Angeles-based architecture firm EC3 and Boise real estate company High Desert Development (HDD) unveil the Crystal barn as one of their first anchor buildings Orchard, 81 acre mixed-use business park under construction fifteen minutes from downtown Boise. when completed, orchard park will become idaho’s most integrated contemporary built environment for a post-pandemic world.

From the beginning of 2021, EC3 and a multidisciplinary team of architects and engineers will be working with High Desert Development to redesign the conventional shopping center as a creative net-zero campus, on which the synergy between the architectural design and the curation of the tenants will create a region-specific destination. and visitor experience.

Images © EC3

the crystal barn for the orchard

with the overalls Master plan orchard, EC3 (more on this here) and High Desert Development (more on this here) present a tailor-made, walk-in and off-grid community that offers a mix of workplace, retail, hospitality, cultural and civic programs with over five hectares of open parking space.

Crystal Barn, the first structure designed by EC3 to be built will be a version of the Crystal Palace from the 21st. The 65,000-square-foot building is designed as two 350-foot-long parallel structures offset with interior retail space designated as site-specific installations. Under the pitched roofs of the spacious flexspaces there are exceptional, regionally based companies that offer relaxation and hospitality experiences. The immersive, “art hall-like” space will house a “wave surf pool” and an “experimental gastro hall” along with other amenities and attractions.

EC3 founder and design architect Edwin Chan comments on the crystal barn and the entire campus of the orchard park: ‘In the post-pandemic Amazon-led world, our customer has realized that it is time to reinvent the shopping mall business model. IRather than thinking about the business of shopping in terms of maximizing square footage for point of sale, we’re creating a memorable space to encourage social encounters and share experiences for the consumer.. ‘

‘In addition to a variety of activities and experiences curated by HDD, we also envision that cultural institutions, art fairs, digital content producers and other creative companies could use the crystal barn for shows, sound stages, productions and other temporary uses.‘