Marks Barfield Proposes a Soaring Bamboo Science Center for the Amazon Rainforest

Imagine the <a href="http://inhabitat.com/new-yorks-high-line-park-in-the-sky-opens-today/">High Line elevate park</a> on the lower west side of Manhattan, only instead of a one-mile walkway above beeping taxis and century-old brick facades, it's a six mile network of walkways spanning over unspoiled rainforest with chirping Toucans and ancient trees over a thousand years old. This walkway, part of a proposed science center designed by <a href="http://www.marksbarfield.com/index.php">Marks Barfield Architects</a> in the northeastern Brazilian province of Roraima, would offer important research opportunities to scientists from the <a href="http://www.rbg.ca/Page.aspx?pid=193" target="_blank">Royal Botanical Gardens</a> and organizations like <a href="http://www.kew.org/index.htm">Kew</a> and the Brazilian Amazon Research Institute, as well as breathtaking views for visiting tourists.

Designed by <a href="http://www.marksbarfield.com/index.php">Marks Barfield Architects</a>, a London-based firm known for progressive landscape designs including the elevated walkway at <a href="http://inhabitat.com/tag/kew-gardens/">Kew Gardens</a>, the center will incorporate solar power and will use bamboo grown on-site as a primary material in the construction process. A spiral staircase leads up to a vantage point right at canopy level, giving researchers and visitors alike a rare and beautiful perspective of the rainforests.

Recent developments of a new school and a solar-powered satellite internet connection are examples of the area's focus on sustainability and growth.

A view of what the walkway high above the jungle floor might look like.

Rendering of the interior of a solar-powered computer workstation.

[gallery_extend]....<br><br><a href='https://inhabitat.com/marks-barfield-proposes-a-soaring-bamboo-science-center-for-the-amazon-rainforest/'>READ ARTICLE</a>