Evolution and climate change, for newbies and experts alike.

The challenge: Design 20,000 square feet of exhibit space in Renzo Piano’s new museum, have it blend seamlessly into the building and the park setting, and then engage, educate and inspire a global audience.

The Islands of Evolution exhibit examines the Academy’s various expeditions and research in the Galápagos and Madagascar with a focus on evolution. We co-opted the scientific specimen box as a method of organizing content with a contemporary spin, allowing for the different kinds of information to be arranged in varied and compelling ways, creating a non-linear, “contemporary cabinet of curiosities.”

Altered State: Climate Change in California examines climate change globally and locally. The exhibit looks at rising and acidifying oceans, melting ice, hotter and drier environments, and extinction to illustrate what we stand to lose. Visitors can learn about efforts to help mitigate the effects of climate change and also make individual pledges to alter their own impact on the planet.