Biophilic design studio: Nature-Inspired Creative Spaces
The other day I was sitting in what I’d generously call my “office” – really just a corner of my apartment where I’ve managed to cram a reclaimed oak desk,…
Why Most “Eco-Friendly” Furniture in Toronto Made Me Want to Scream (And Where I Actually Found the Good Stuff)
You know those moments when your professional expertise completely ruins shopping for you? That’s what happened to me last month when I wandered into this furniture showroom in the Distillery…
Biophilic design store: Products That Bring Nature Indoors
Walking through one of those big box furniture stores last month, I couldn't shake this feeling of something being fundamentally off. Everything looked perfect – coordinated, pristine, completely divorced from…
Green Building Materials and Products: Complete Catalog
Yesterday morning, my coffee got cold while I was hunched over a laptop comparing embodied carbon data for three different types of structural steel. Not exactly how most people start…
Biophilic sculpture: Art Inspired by Nature
Standing in the lobby of the Smithsonian's Hirshhorn Museum last month, I found myself completely mesmerized by a massive installation that seemed to breathe. Tony Cragg's "Mixed Feelings" – this…
Regenerative landscape design: Creating Living Outdoor Systems
Last Tuesday, I found myself crouched in a client's backyard, my hands deep in what most people would call "dirt" but I prefer to think of as potential. The homeowner,…
I Tracked Productivity Data in 47 Hotel Lobbies – Here’s What Biophilic Design Actually Does to Your Stress Levels
Last month I walked into the Fairmont Pacific Rim’s lobby during a business trip and something weird happened – my Apple Watch recorded a 12-point drop in my resting heart…
Biophilic workplace: Case Studies in Office Design
I was standing in the lobby of a tech company in Portland last Tuesday, watching employees shuffle past the reception desk with that familiar Monday-morning glaze in their eyes, when…
Biophilic design office: Creating Workspaces That Thrive
I was halfway through explaining circadian lighting systems to a corporate facilities manager when she interrupted me with the best question I'd heard all month: "Why does my team always…
Creating Outdoor Spaces That Actually Help You Age Better
The morning sun was hitting the raised garden bed I built for my wife at just the right angle when I noticed something that made me stop and really pay…