About

Welcome to Hummingbird Place, inspired by the artistry of nature and the ingenuity of regenerative design. In the delicate grace of the tiny hummingbird, we found an unexpected muse—it’s one of the smallest birds, but also one of the most agile, flying up to 35 miles per hour. It’s also the only bird that can fly backward and upside down--a model for the kind of agility that we all need to thrive in a continuously changing world. 

Much like the hummingbird, we believe in defying the limits of size and doing more with less. As Klaus Schwab, the visionary founder of the World Economic Forum, once emphasized, “For our world to survive, buildings need to be rapidly reprogrammable, accommodating office work, social gatherings, and learning space.” The Hummingbird Building was created to serve all these functions, as well as a place to live and play. 

The Bird is a team project, designed by Randy Fielding, Architect, his partner and co-owner, Kris Fielding, a five-star real estate host, along with the team at Fielding International. Most meaningfully, the building embodies more than a dozen human-centered design patterns, learned from client communities and partner architects while working in 50 countries. 

The Bird was also inspired by the principles of Regenerative Design, which is modeled on natural ecosystem processes for returning energy to the environment rather than consuming it. The agility of the tiny hummingbird and the global-mindedness of the World Economic Forum both provided concrete models of Regenerative Design thinking.

Sustainable and Regenerative Features:
Regenerative Design is modeled on natural ecosystem processes that return energy to the environment rather than consuming it. The agility of the tiny hummingbird and the global-mindedness of the World Economic Forum both provided concrete models of Regenerative Design thinking.

1. Maximizing the use of valuable urban land--high-density mixed-use living, working, and learning space on a small footprint for an effective urban ecosystem.

2. Site topography contoured to maximize visible connections to the sidewalk, creating "eyes on the street," the sidewalk, and the bus stop, improving neighborhood safety. 

3. Active pedestrian edges with a strong visible connection to high-use workspace and the sidewalk, supporting work-community connections. 

4. Extensive emphasis on daylighting, south building orientation, with extra tall, operable windows, with 90% of usable spaces naturally lit.

5. Varied, four-season landscaping, supporting active sidewalks as attractive walking spaces.

6. Interior and exterior bike racks and storage and a building shower to support alternative transportation.

7. An extensive system of operable windows with low intake and high venting to facilitate natural ventilation (the stack effect)

8. Linden, Oak, and Aspen trees were planted on both the property and public boulevard to provide shade and glare control.

9. A green yard, terrace, or balcony is provided for all five units.

10. Rain and butterfly garden on Hennepin Ave. Boulevard.

11. Elevator, and washroom accessibility that invites diverse populations to live, work, and visit.

12. Vertical Gallery—a four-level stair hall with gallery lighting, designed to feature art, architecture, and photography, and invite building users to pause, reflect and interact as they move through the building.