Human Spaces – Latest Posts

Designing with the WELL Building Standard in mind

May 4, 2018

At the International WELL Building Institute (IWBI), our mission is to lead the movement to promote health and wellness in buildings and communities everywhere. We are very pleased to see the growing investment and interest across the globe, including initiatives such as the WELL Building design guide published by Interface. By placing people at the…

Rethinking the World’s Waste Dilemma

April 24, 2018

China’s shift in recycling waste plastic Recently, the door closed to what was, until now, the dominant market for recycling waste plastic. In 2017, the People’s Republic of China announced that it would no longer accept 24 categories of recyclables and solid waste, instead replacing imported materials with recycled material collected domestically. In the previous…

CBRE Madrid: WELL Building and the Benefits in Practice

April 12, 2018

In 2013, the International WELL Building Institute (IWBI) launched a movement to address issues regarding health and well-being within the built environment (issues which are somewhat overlooked by existing standards). From this the WELL Building Standard™ was established, with the aim to provide architects and designers with guidelines on how to make a real and…

GreenBiz 2018: The New Carbon Economy and Other Observations

March 27, 2018

At this year’s GreenBiz event, our Chief Sustainability Officer Erin Meezan participated in a panel called “Building a New Carbon Economy: Strategies for Turning Waste Carbon from Liability to Asset.” We sat down to unravel what that really means and how businesses can work alongside academia, non-government organisations and government to build this new “economy.”…

The factory that welcomes bees

March 14, 2018

There’s an air of excitement buzzing through the Interface factory in Craigavon, Northern Ireland. We’ve recently installed hives to house 20,000 bees, transforming a wasteland at the rear of the factory into a small bee-friendly nature reserve. There are around 5,500 known beehives in Northern Ireland – but the bee population has dwindled in recent…

Why Do We Rely So Much on Geometry in Our Designs?

March 6, 2018

Geometry is an integral part of design from start to finish. Just think about it. Architects use geometry to study and divide space as well as draft detailed building plans. Builders and engineers rely on geometric principles to create structures safely. Designers apply geometry (along with colour and scale) to make the aesthetically pleasing spaces…

Addressing Ocean Plastics with NextWave and the Circular Economy

February 27, 2018

There is an African proverb that states, If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want go far, go together. This is certainly true in the circular economy. We are increasingly seeing companies realise the power and value of collaboration. Just recently, a cross-industry consortium of companies joined forces to tackle the global…

Top Sustainability Trends for 2018

February 1, 2018

To state the obvious, 2017 was quite the unpredictable year. While sustainable business leaders and climate advocates knew there’d be inevitable changes with a new U.S. presidency, few could have anticipated just how volatile the past 12 months were. From the U.S. federal administration’s decision to withdraw from the Paris Accord to the Environmental Protection…

Pantone’s 2018 Colour of the Year: Ultra Violet

January 23, 2018

Over the years, Pantone’s Colour of the Year has reflected a cultural alignment with a specific colour’s meaning. Every year is pivotal, but the significance of 2017 lingers as we open 2018 with new intentions. Ultra Violet is a unique selection from the Pantone Colour Institute. It’s a manifestation of cultural, political and social elements rather…

Featured Contributor

Oliver Heath

As a leading figure in biophilic design, Oliver is working with global modular flooring manufacturer Interface to raise the awareness of the benefits of design inspired by nature. A prominent thinker in the architecture industry and owner of Heath Design Ltd, Oliver is also a writer and TV presenter.

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