October 27, 2020
Embodied carbon – from challenge to opportunity
To let the dream of thriving real green urban city space become true, we must uncover at least a key blind spot in the built environment: embodied carbon emissions.
Urban Design
Janneke Leenaars October 22, 2019
Beautiful Thinking: Oliver Heath’s Story
Biophilia is a concept which proposes that human beings share an innate attraction to nature and natural processes, benefiting from its restorative presence.
Interface September 15, 2016
Building Biomimetic Cities: An Interview with Melissa Sterry
Melissa Sterry is a design scientist and systems theorist. We interviewed her on biodesign, biomimetic cities, and more. Melissa is recognised as a world leading authority on the science, technology and thinking that could help build a better world. We tend to focus on the macrocosm of the city but you’ve shown there’s much to…
Darran Anderson July 21, 2016
Full Circle: Revitalising the Atlanta Beltline
From climate change and congressional standoffs to global unrest and gridlock, it’s easy to cite what’s wrong with the world. The tough part is looking squarely in the face of what’s negative and turning it into something positive. But those who take on the challenges of changing minuses into pluses are often rewarded with a…
Jean Nayar May 22, 2016
Artful Restoration
Last October, during the first weekend of the Chicago Architecture Biennial, artist and social activist Theaster Gates pulled back the curtain on his latest endeavour: the Stony Island Arts Bank. The highly trumpeted project entailed the conversion of a derelict bank building on the city’s South Side into a public cultural venue, brimming with galleries,…
December 15, 2015
Biophilic Design in Asia
What is biophilia? To me, it’s a love and respect for nature. Biophilic design then, is showing that love and respect by preserving and harnessing nature – and working with it. Humans have always lived within nature, but in the developed world buildings and cities have gradually created a barrier between us and the great…
Richard Hassel October 19, 2015
The Role of Landscape Architecture in Creating Biophilic Environments
When we think of biophilic design, we think of nature. Its primary intention to reintroduce nature into our built environments. Yet much of the project and literature focus of biophilic design has been on interior environments. What about applications of biophilic design to the external built environment? There is a noticeable bias towards architecture and…
Joe Clancy August 6, 2015
Can Design Influence Behaviour?
The recent developments of ARTSPACE Sydney and BOOM Gallery Melbourne are two local projects exploring how design could impact on the behaviour of people within a space. Cultural buildings are some of our most important public spaces. As Ashley Dunn of Dunn & Hillam notes, “These are the spaces where we challenge who we are,…
June 10, 2015
Flourishing Biophilic Urban Housing
According to the UN by 2050 nearly 70% of the world’s population will be living in urban areas, there will be more cities and more mega-cities. As our contact with rural landscapes decreases our alienation from greenery and living elements will increase unless we green the urban environment and the spaces in which we live.…
Oliver Heath