Human Habitats

November 25, 2020

Observing nature: what has it taught us?

‘The coronavirus pandemic has hit the world severely, representing the most severe threat to human health in more than a century. The environment from local to global scales has witnessed apparent positive and negative impacts. Global lockdowns have drastically altered the patterns of energy demand and have caused an economic downturn but at the same…

June 25, 2020

Designing for Resiliency

There is no question that in the months of prolonged isolation and distancing, we’re starting to feel the desire for social connection. The reality is that we need and want to go back to work, which means buildings need to adjust—and quickly. But how can we incorporate health and wellbeing? And what is our responsibility to create that sense of physical and psychological safety in the built environment now and into the future?  

March 11, 2020

Walking the talk on low carbon – CIAP Architects Pte Ltd creates a showcase interior for the Singapore Green Building Council

If there is a single organisation that knows just what it takes to create a low carbon office, the Singapore Green Building Council (SGBC) would be it. An Established Member of the World Green Building Council network, SGBC is an enabler of sustainability in the built environment represented by a distinctive public-private partnership that spans…

August 8, 2016

Biophilic Vietnam: A Perspective on Vo Trong Nghia Architects

Vo Trong Nghia Architects (VTNA) has grown up against the backdrop of a relentless tear-down-and-build in Vietnam that many have criticised as hasty and insensitive. The firm offers a perspective on green urbanism does yet not affect the planning of Vietnamese cities where there is instead evidence of a systematic stripping of blue-green cover and…

February 17, 2016

Biomimicry & The Biomimetic Office Building

An Interview with Michael Pawlyn, Architect & Author In The Biomimetic Office Building, lighting takes its inspiration from the translucent four-eyed spookfish and a spindly-legged cousin of the starfish, the brittle star, both deep ocean dwellers. The building’s glazed glass exterior nods to a mollusk’s iridescent shell, while our own double duty spinal column is…

February 5, 2016

Are Green Buildings Biophilic? Why the Answer Matters, Particularly in Asia

The idea of ‘Green’ in Asia is dominated by certification tools. There are now some 14 national variants – not unlike LEED in the US – each offering tiered ratings at the building scale, some at the urban scale. The rating is determined by an aggregated score, the result of compliance with requirements that focus…

November 5, 2015

Top 3 Hospitality Interiors

The accommodation we choose when traveling is an important aspect of the whole experience and should naturally be somewhere that will aide our path to decompressing the stress of our everyday lives, whilst aiding relaxation and calm. We’ve picked out three contrasting examples of hotels that daydreams are made of; that embody biophilic principles to…

July 24, 2015

Incredible Examples of Biophilic Offices

There is so much evidence about the advantages of biophilic design elements being incorporated into office design. So, we thought we’d share some inspiring examples of office interiors that are putting theory into practice; creating spaces that are teeming with vitality where workers can feel inspired and thrive. Ljubljana Chamber of Commerce and Industry The…