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A New Tool in Treating Mental Illness: Building Design

Jane Margolies

January 05, 2021 |

The New York Times |

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1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Mountain View, California

Across the U.S. an influx of new mental health facilities are being designed through a lens of "evidence-based" architecture that aims to use the design itself as a means of treatment. With studies indicating that access to nature and green space can reduce stress, these new facilities aren't "just about being warm and fuzzy."

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As Concerns Over Climate Change Rise, More Developers Turn to Wood

Keith Schneider

September 22, 2020 |

The New York Times |

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800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Spokane, Washington

Eastern Washington University recently built the first tall wood office building in the state joining hundreds of other large “mass-timber” projects in the United States. This growing industry constructs panels, beams, and columns from trees that need to be thinned to curb wildfires in forests. While wood buildings can be more expensive to build than ones constructed from concrete and steel, environmentalists are on board because wood can store carbon, which can help offset greenhouse gas emissions.

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How social-distancing symbols are changing our cities

Vittoria Traverso

September 16, 2020 |

BBC |

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1500-3000 Words

Response Location: France, Paris

Across the world, local governments and communities are looking for ways to draw boundaries that guide people's behavior towards social distancing. Although the perfect sign has yet to be determined, urban psychologists and researchers have found that community created signs as well as France's "wave-shaped sign" have inspired loyalty and a shared goal.

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How to Design a Street for Hands-Off Play

Elissaveta M. Brandon

August 25, 2020 |

Next City |

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800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Harlem, New York

PLAY NYC, a nonprofit in New York, is reviving a historic pop-up playground concept, which started over two decades ago, in order to increase children's access to playgrounds and physical activity. The concept is simple—take over a street, build, and design an interactive playground, and follow social distancing guidelines, but every street and community comes with its own set of challenges. Most of the play streets offer "no -touch obstacle course, exercise activities, and learning experiences" across low-income neighborhoods in New York.

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Going ‘Deep Green,' Office Buildings Give Back to the Planet

Jane Margolies

July 14, 2020 |

The New York Times |

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800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Seattle, Washington

More and more commercial real estate projects are popping up around the United States that are focused on “deep green” building. This movement suggests that it’s not enough to just make a building out of renewable materials, but they can also be self-sustaining. For example, the Watershed, an office building in Seattle, has a slanted roof that collects rainwater that is then used in toilets. These types of projects can be more complicated and expensive to build, but developers can save money in the long run with the improvements.

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A Virtual Landscape-Architecture Camp Introduces Girls to Careers They Didn't Even Know Existed

Jared Brey

May 13, 2020 |

Next City |

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800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, South Bend, Indiana

An Indiana-based architect started a virtual camp for elementary school-aged girls focused on the lesser-known field of landscape architecture. The weekly virtual lessons work by explaining the career and concepts of landscape architecture through fun relatable activities, and feature lectures from women working in the field. The architect leading the camp hopes the camp will engage young girls to participate in their community and introduce them to a potential career, one which is in need of more diverse perspectives.

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Designing Accessible Communities

Anne Saunders

April 22, 2020 |

Business NH Magazine |

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1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Boston, Massachusetts

Design students are being taught about accessibility and the challenges faced by those who live with disabilities at the Massachusetts College of Art and Design. While new construction must comply with basic accessibility standards, the course is taught in an effort to make accessibility a bigger factor when architects and designers build new developments.

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Energy efficient homes mean less air pollution. But are they affordable?

Heather May

March 09, 2020 |

The Salt Lake Tribune |

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1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Kearns, Utah

To reduce greenhouse gas emissions that contribute to climate change and air pollution, Habitat for Humanity Salt Lake Valley is building airtight homes that will also reduce energy costs and be affordable for people experiencing economic hardship. The home are largely being built by volunteers, so the process has been slow and there have been mistakes in building the homes. However, the homes are estimated to reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 4.9 tons a year.

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What Would a World Without Prisons Look Like?

Patricia Leigh Brown

March 06, 2020 |

The New York Times |

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1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Oakland, California

Deanna Van Buren and her nonprofit firm Designing Justice/Designing Spaces use architecture to advance social justice and criminal-justice-reform ideas, designing workplaces, meeting places, and homes nationwide founded on the notion of "what a world without prisons could look like." The firm's projects, often planned with input from the people directly affected, have included privacy-enhancing temporary living units for people recently released from prison, a "peacemaking" space in Syracuse, N.Y., and two of the first restorative-justice meeting places for crime victims and those who harmed them.

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Using Trauma-Informed Design, Buildings Become Tools for Recovery

Daliah Singer

January 22, 2020 |

Colorado Trust |

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1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Denver, Colorado

In Denver, Colorado, one homeless shelter is using trauma-informed design to make residents feel more at home and less likely to sleep outside. Architects building Sanderson Apartments considered past traumas when choosing the layout, colors, furniture, and building materials. As a result, the physical environment is helping with the recovery process.

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