I was talking with a corrections officer last month—a weathered guy named Mike with twenty-plus years in the system—when he said something that stuck with me: “These walls don’t just…
I’ll never forget the first time I truly understood how materials shape sound. It was during a concert at an old stone church in Portland—the kind of place that’s been…
I was staring out my kitchen window last Tuesday, watching a lone chickadee perch on the impossibly small “garden” I’ve cultivated on my fire escape. Garden is a generous term,…
In designing spaces for people to live in, particularly guest rooms, we strive to craft an experience that is both welcoming and restorative. We want the room to serve as…
Standing at the base of what looked like any other glass and steel tower in downtown Singapore last year, I had no idea I was about to experience something that…
Strolling through a vibrant landscape, rich with the natural world, is one of the most satisfying experiences. It’s not about placing a tree in every corner, or even a tree…
There’s this moment when you realize that modern design doesn’t have to be cold, sterile, or disconnected from life. I experienced it firsthand about three years ago when I walked…
As I consider the time spent in the exploration of playgrounds—both in urban and rural contexts—the most compelling of these spaces are those that have drawn directly from nature. It’s…
Something soothes me, and I am sure it soothes many others, about walking into a vintage room with biophilic design. For me, it is the teaming verdancy that wraps around…