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Rainforest Project Hires Architects from England

Perry Beeman

Des Moines Register

August 31, 2005

[Note: This material is copyright by the Des Moines Register, and is reproduced here as a matter of "fair use" for non-commercial, educational purposes only. Any other use may require the prior approval of the Des Moines Register.]


Backers of the Coralville rainforest project have hired the architects who designed a similar, successful project in England.

The Environmental Project, the Iowa organization, has hired Grimshaw Architects, which has offices in London, New York and Melbourne.

The firm designed The Eden Project in Cornwall, England.

“We believe Grimshaw will bring an understanding of environmental sustainability that can be found with no other firm in the world,” said David Oman, executive director of the Environmental Project.

"Grimshaw had the best integrated team, had the most remarkable projects – including The Eden Project – and offered significantly lower fees than the competitors.”

Andrew Whalley, who heads Grimshaw's New York office, will lead the work in Iowa. The firm plans to open a Coralville office. It will collaborate with Iowa architecture RDG Planning & Design.