Allen Center

Dubbed The ACRE, the signature piece at Brookfield’s renovated One and Two Allen Center, features a botanical experience encompassing five curated landscape areas, which are each defined by a unique and vibrant planting palette.

The ACRE involved the removal of a second-level sky bridge and the large earth berm under it, which opened up the view to people walking along Smith Street and reconfigured the area into a publicly-accessible space for active and passive recreation. The open space also includes various small and large programmed spaces to accommodate events, art installations, performances, movies and concerts.

The landscape features a thoughtful botanical experience, highlighted by five distinct planting areas with a unique and striking combination of color and texture from 12 vibrant and adaptive plant species. Over half of the project is located above a below-ground parking structure, with no planting depth. Architectural planting mounds that slope at different angles were used to further define the exterior spaces.

When designing The ACRE, OJB accounted for environmental sustainability, saving trees and adding additional native and adaptive tree species to provide generous shade to the site. The promenade surrounding the lawn uses light grey colored pavers, which reduce solar energy retention and minimize the impact on microclimates and habitats.

Team