A special issue of Architecture entitled, “Biophilic School Design for Health and Wellbeing”, Terrapin’s Bill Browning teamed up with Jim Determan of Craig Gaulden Davis Architecture to explore the results from the yearlong study of biophilic measures in a sixth grade mathematics classroom in Baltimore. Those results influenced the design of the new Bethel-Hanberry elementary […] The post Architecture Issue Addresses Outcomes of Biophilic Design for Schools appeared first on Terrapin ...| Terrapin Bright Green
Every once in a great while, a completed project is even better than the architectural renderings. When that happens, it is an absolute thrill. This delight and joy is what we experienced when walking through the newly rebuilt terminal core of Portland Oregon’s PDX International Airport. PDX has for many years been the top-rated airport […] The post PDX—When a Project is Better than it’s Exceptional Renderings appeared first on Terrapin Bright Green.| Terrapin Bright Green
British Columbia (BC), Canada’s westernmost province, has a centuries-old tradition of wood construction by the First Nations of the region. Their round houses and planked long houses made great use of the giant western red cedar and the fine-grained yellow cedar. For BC’s largest city, Vancouver, timber exports were the basis of its original economy. …| Terrapin Bright Green
If you think libraries are just musty repositories of old books, then you will need to think again. Libraries have become economic development centers, community gathering places, media production facilities and much more. This August, as part of the Executive Education Program at the Harvard University Graduate School of Design, Jeffrey Hoover, Director of Library …| Terrapin Bright Green
The administration at the University of California Santa Barbara finally realized that the emperor had no clothes and cancelled the mostly windowless Munger Hall,1 but the fight for natural light and air continues. The monstrous dorm would have sentenced over 4,000 students to bedrooms with no windows, creating a potentially disastrous living experience. In location near …| Terrapin Bright Green
The long-time coming second edition of The Economics of Biophilia is finally here for us all to geek out on! Through support from Interface, we at Terrapin are very excited to release this new report. In 2012, we set out to share with the industry the great potential of biophilic design. We sought to provide …| Terrapin Bright Green
Designing with nature could be described as an industry response to health and wellbeing trends. But there is a history and science to this practice known as ‘biophilic design’. Biophilia is the innate connection between humans and nature. Biophilic design is the expression of those experiences of nature for a healthier built environment. Since our …| Terrapin Bright Green
Agrihoods, neighborhoods that incorporate food production into their design, have been getting more attention in the residential development world. In many cases, these projects are conventional sprawl with a tiny community garden or orchard. Whereas, in their truest form, agrihoods weave food production into the design and experiential fabric of their communities in much more …| Terrapin Bright Green
A man to whom Terrapin owes much of our passion and focus passed away last month. Edward O. Wilson made multiple contributions to science and society. His focus on ants and their behaviors led to a sometimes controversial exploration of innate vs learned behavior in other species—sociobiology, a field in which he was a pioneer. …| Terrapin Bright Green
Why we love wood may be ingrained in us. Terrapin’s new report is a deep dive into what this biophilic connection is all about. Wood is making a comeback in the built environment and, though most often covered by media for presenting an opportunity to reduce carbon footprints in building construction, awareness of the physiological …| Terrapin Bright Green