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The Ecological Center in downtown Louisville seeks to create a space where the local natural environment can be both researched and lived. The design combines an existing office building with multiple bold interventions, most notably a significant addition to the east facade and a rooftop restaurant. The facade design takes inspiration from the cliff bluffs of the Ohio river that runs through the city. The restaurant's design focuses not just on optimizing light for humans (Usable Daylight Index) but also the spectrum for plants (Photosynthetically Active Radiation). The design was developed using Generative Design Algorithms and Energy Modeling software, combining daylight, energy and water analysis with evolutionary solvers that isolated a focused set of options the design team then used as a basis for aesthetic design.