{"id":4532,"date":"2025-08-26T17:30:40","date_gmt":"2025-08-26T17:30:40","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.angesfinanciers.org\/?p=4532"},"modified":"2025-08-29T15:09:53","modified_gmt":"2025-08-29T15:09:53","slug":"marlon-blackwell-architects-clads-arkansas-building-in-giraffe-stone-for-sense-of-place","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.angesfinanciers.org\/index.php\/2025\/08\/26\/marlon-blackwell-architects-clads-arkansas-building-in-giraffe-stone-for-sense-of-place\/","title":{"rendered":"Marlon Blackwell Architects clads Arkansas building in giraffe stone for “sense of place”"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Heartland<\/div>\n

Arkansas<\/a> studio Marlon Blackwell Architects<\/a> has completed the headquarters building for the Heartland Whole Health Institute, which features a curved form and facades covered in stonework<\/a> resembling a giraffe’s hide.<\/span><\/p>\n

The three-storey building is located within the 134-acre (54-hectare) Crystal Bridges Campus in Bentonville<\/a>, Arkansas.<\/p>\n

\"The
Marlon Blackwell Architects has completed the headquarters building for the Heartland Whole Health Institute<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

It serves as the new home of the Heartland Whole Health Institute<\/a>, founded in 2019 by philanthropist Alice Walton, who is the daughter of the founder of retail giant Walmart.<\/p>\n

The nonprofit organisation aims to transform the healthcare system. It works with the health care industry to advocate for a “whole-health approach” to prevent disease, improve health outcomes and sustain wellness.<\/p>\n

\"Building
The building features a curvy form and facades covered in stonework resembling a giraffe’s hide<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Designed by local studio Marlon Blackwell Architects<\/a>, the headquarters building brings together “architecture, art, nature, education and wellness offerings”.<\/p>\n

Encompassing 85,000 square feet (7,897 square metres), the building was designed to draw upon its context and integrate with the landscape. Irregular in plan, it has a slender, curvilinear form with forms branching off, seen in a street-facing volume at ground level.<\/p>\n

\"Dogtrot
A dogtrot is included near the entrance<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The building has two main facade treatments.<\/p>\n

The lower portion is covered in giraffe stone, a vernacular style of cladding found in the region. It typically consists of flat-faced field stones of varying sizes that are mortared into place, forming a pattern that resembles a giraffe’s hide.<\/p>\n

“For this project, it has been developed as a highly durable and insulated masonry cavity wall,” the team said, adding that the stones came from quarries in Arkansas and nearby Oklahoma.<\/p>\n

\"Airy
Inside, one finds airy spaces and earthy materials<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The building’s upper portion is lined with vertical fins<\/a> made of pre-weathered brass<\/a>, which provide shade while also relating to the “textures of the wooded site”.<\/p>\n

The same brass was also used for wall panels, soffits and trim.<\/p>\n

\"Office
Wood ceilings throughout help tie the rooms together<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Portions of the ground level are cut away to form dogtrots, which are open-ended passageways found in vernacular-style homes in the region. A dogtrot near the entrance “acts as a threshold to the flexible west lawn and the forest beyond”.<\/p>\n

Inside, one finds airy spaces and earthy materials, including travertine<\/a> flooring, wool carpeting and plywood<\/a> with pecan and walnut veneers. Wood ceilings throughout help tie the rooms together and provide a cohesive feel.<\/p>\n

\"Curved
The curvilinear forms and native stone are informed by the region’s topography<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Beyond the materiality, a connection to nature is provided through ample glazing and numerous terraces and other outdoor spaces.<\/p>\n

“The openness of the building and direct access to the natural surroundings provide a nurturing environment to actively explore whole health principles,” the team said.<\/p>\n

\"Wood-lined
The building offers a mix of work and social spaces<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

It offers a mix of work and social spaces. The ground level holds a cafe, event space and areas for exhibiting artwork.<\/p>\n

Upper levels contain offices for the Heartland Whole Health Institute, along with the Alice L Walton Foundation and the Art Bridges Foundation, the latter being an organisation dedicated to improving access to art around the country.<\/p>\n