Lafayette Yards mixed-use building is sited at the eastern terminus of Fourth Avenue at the edge of the central business district in St. Paul, Minnesota. This 500,000 square foot complex includes retail space, a multiplex cinema, a black box performance venue, café & dining establishments, 130,000 square feet of residential units, 290,000 square feet of office space and parking for 100 cars. The 160 foot square footprint rises 35 stories to pack all functions densely into a three dimensional collage. Spiraling around this program space are four 90 foot tall green spaces which each extend the full width of a facade to create a climate buffer zone and simultaneously the iconography of the building. These buffer zones contribute to the aspiration of a naturally ventilated building with minimal mechanical cooling to assist in the creation of a comfortable minimum energy use interior climate. In addition, these zones become communal spaces to condense the multiple programs of the building into public space in the sky. This building is a component of a Coen & Partners masterplan for the defunct Lafayette Yards light industrial district with the intent of creating a new and diverse neighbourhood in downtown St. Paul. The masterplan includes contributions by Thomas Phifer for a residential high-rise condominium, Architecture Research Office for a soccer academy, Miloby Ideasystem for loft residences & a parking structure and Office dA for a soccer stadium.