Our Surprise Discovery exploring Seattle

Most weekends, our family enjoys exploring the beauty of the Pacific Northwest nature.  Recently, we had the chance though, to head up to Seattle for some exploring in the city.  Our son had a special performance at MoPOP (Museum of Pop Culture) and since our family loves to travel, we grabbed the opportunity to make a family fun weekend trip out of it!

MoPOP was so fun!  After the performance, we ended up roaming the exhibits and playing the musical instruments the rest of the day! Besides visiting MoPOP, we didn’t really have a lot of plans set in stone. This unstructured time allowed us to find a place we would have otherwise never known about, as it opened very recently.  However, we were all blown away by the experience.

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Museum of Pop Culture (MoPOP) in Seattle, WA

As we were walking the streets through the South Lake Union neighborhood on our way to play tourists at Pike Place Market, we noticed an eye catching building at the end of the block.  We couldn’t help but move closer and asked a person who looked like someone who would know, standing near the door, what this building was all about. 

​We found out this building was named “The Spheres” and that these peculiar buildings were amazon’s new offices.  He invited us to come in.  Really?!  Inside, the atmosphere was transformational as huge close-up images of beautiful plants greeted us.  The room’s exhibits explained the unique architecture of “The Spheres” and the philosophy behind it.

The Spheres in Seattle, WA

While we couldn’t access the upper floors of the buildings, videos and photographs gave a pretty clear picture of what these spaces looked like.  The middle of the building had a huge tree in it and thousands of plants from all over the world were brought in to create a green, natural environment.

​The conference rooms were built like a bird’s nest and a tree house connected by wooden walkways that reminded us of suspended bridges in the forest.  Amazon encourages their employees to have meetings in these inspirational places.
​Based on scientific research that shows people think best when walking, employees can move on the wooden walkways to gain new insights or figure out the creative solution to a problem.  

My husband and I have been reading the book “The Nature Fix” by Florence Williams.  This book discusses the scientific evidence behind nature making us happier, healthier and more creative.  We have been very intrigued by this book and have certainly found that spending time in nature has added much happiness and joy in our own lives.  

Realizing the connections between the science covered in “The Nature Fix” and the work environment amazon has built with “The Spheres” begs the question: what can we do to incorporate these concepts in our lives? How can we incorporate more nature into our lives to create a happier and healthier environment?

Here are 3 ways:

1. Go out into nature as often as you can
Find outdoor activities you enjoy to stay fit and have fun with your family. Maybe instead of going to that matinee at the movie theater, go for a hike?

2. Bring nature in
Indoor plants benefit the air quality and beautify our home. 

3. Walking meetings
Can you do some of your work while walking?  Meet a friend for a walk instead of sedentary coffee or lunch?  ​

What is your favorite way to incorporate these concepts in your life?  Which one of these ideas most speaks to you? Please share your thoughts in the comments. Would love to hear from you!

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