A lightweight climate device rethinks the future of greenhouses
The architect designers Hermine Demaël and Stephen Zimmerer, in collaboration with Dr. Evelyn Beaury, present Greenhouse Prototype 2, an interdisciplinary facility developed at New York Enid A. Haupt Conservatory of the Botanical Garden. The project combines architectural design and scientific research through a light, mobile climate device designed to create a controlled microenvironment for plants and humans.
THE installation explores how the future greenhouse structures could evolve from sealed enclosures to more permeable habitat refuges capable of supporting species under changing environmental conditions. Through passive airflow, shading and misting systems, the Greenhouse Prototype 2 regulates temperature and humidity while maintaining an open relationship with its surroundings. It was built with use reused materials from previous projects, of the installation aluminum the frame was recycled and repurposed from a greenhouse on display in 2025 at Syracuse University’s School of Architecture.
the garden installation at the Enid A. Haupt Conservatory | all images by Anna Morgowicz / Esto
Etched metal surfaces reveal the hidden networks of plant life
The current structure features perforated aluminum panels shaped into a ten-foot radius, evoking the curved geometry of the Enid A. Haupt Conservatory’s historic glass roof. Over time, the light surfaces are designed to become covered with vegetation and gradually blend into the environment.
A large-scale research project developed by designers Hermine Demaël and Stephen Zimmerer in collaboration with scientists from the New York Botanical Garden are integrated into the installation. Etched into the aluminum panels, the design removes microscopic views of leaf vein structures, illustrating the ways in which plants transport water and distribute resources. Together, the installation and design examine different scales of environmental adaptation and responses to climate stress.
The interdisciplinary team combines the architectural design of Demaël, the landscape and architectural practice of Zimmerer and the research of Dr. Beaury on climate change, species movement and migration. Dr. Beaury is Assistant Curator at the Center for Conservation and Restoration Ecology at the New York Botanical Garden. The project was developed through workshops involving architects and scientists from NYBG and Syracuse University. Supported by a grant from the New York Architectural Association and the New York State Council on the Arts.
the garden installation at the Enid A. Haupt Conservatory;
the garden installation at the Enid A. Haupt Conservatory;
the frame and fog system of the installation
the frame and fog system of the installation
the perforated screens and fog system
the suspended fog system, integrated in an aluminum channel;
the perforated screens with etched images
the perforated screens with etched images
the back side of the garden facility
the frame, the perforated screens and the fog system
the perforated screens with etched images
project information:
name: Greenhouse prototype 2
designer: Demaël carpenter
main designers: Hermine Demaël | @hermine_dmlStephen Zimmerer | @stephenzimmerer
design team: Hermine Demaël, Stephen Zimmerer, Evelyn Beaury, PhD, Douglas Daly, PhD
aluminum engraving: Kurt Brosnan | @easthilldigifabllc
manufacturing facilities: Architecture of Syracuse | @syr_arch
location: Enid A. Haupt Conservatory of the New York Botanical Garden, New York
dates: June 18 – October 5, 2026
photographer: Anna Morgovich / This | @annamorgowicz
designboom received this project from us DIY submissions feature, where we welcome our readers to submit their own work for publication. see more project submissions from our readers here.
edited by: Christina Vergopoulou | designboom
