As the wintry wind whips through the East End of Pittsburgh, visitors may find refuge from the Arctic outdoors with a virtual visit to Thailand in the new Tropical Forest room at Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens.

		Mac Users Viewers using Macintosh computers are encouraged to download this video in Quicktime format at two broadband sizes, medium and large.

Post-Gazette architecture critic Patricia Lowry created this video tour of the room in the final days of construction of what is now the largest room at Phipps. The top half of the exhibit is wild and forested. Closer to ground level are a botanist's field station and a healer's hut. A village area on the floor of the conservatory has a formal garden.

But that's only part of the story. This video also explores the Tropical Forest room's cutting-edge environmentally friendly design.

Related content

Video: A green room for a tropical forest

Review: Phipps adds lush forest to collection