Why Is It More Green to Build with Local Materials?
Last Tuesday, I found myself standing in a lumber yard in Bellingham, watching a semi-truck unload Douglas fir beams that had traveled exactly twelve miles from the mill where they…
Biophilic urban: Cities Reimagined Through Nature
Standing in Singapore's Supertree Grove at dawn, watching mist rise from vertical gardens that stretched twelve stories into the sky, I realised I was witnessing something profound. This wasn't just…
Eco-Friendly Furniture Brands: Top Sustainable Companies
My neighbour knocked on my door last Tuesday holding a photo of a dining table she'd fallen in love with online. "Is this actually sustainable?" she asked, pointing to marketing…
Why Most “Green” Interiors Are Actually Wasteful (And What Actually Works)
Last week my former colleague Lisa called me, practically in tears. She’d just gotten her first electric bill after moving into what she thought was her dream loft – one…
Green Building Materials for LEED Projects: Requirements
You know that moment when you're explaining LEED material requirements to a client and their eyes glaze over? I've been there countless times. The thing is, LEED certification isn't just…
Biophilic landscape: Integrating Nature into Outdoor Design
My client Sarah called me frantically last Tuesday morning. "I need you to come see this," she said, her voice a mix of excitement and bewilderment. I'd been working with…
When My Kid’s School Called About “Sick Building Syndrome” – And What I Learned About Healing Workspaces
I got a call last month that really got me thinking. It wasn’t about my kids’ school this time – it was from a mom in our neighborhood whose company…
Restorative youth design: Environments That Support Growth
Yesterday I caught myself staring at a teenager slumped against a concrete wall outside a shopping mall, earbuds in, completely disconnected from his surroundings. The irony wasn't lost on me…
Biophilic spaces: Examples That Inspire
Walking through the Amazon Spheres in Seattle last Tuesday, I couldn't help but think about how far we've come from those awkward "plant walls" that dominated corporate lobbies fifteen years…
Biophilic project: Case Studies from Around the World
I keep a running list on my phone of projects that make me stop dead in my tracks. Not because they're Instagram-perfect or feature in glossy magazines, but because they…