Innovative Parks to Add to Your Bucket List
Innovative park design and public space reclamation have combined to become one of the latest green trends to emerge in contrast against the urban concrete jungle. These green trends have enjoyed such massive success in the public eye that developers around the world are scrambling to innovate and replicate, with projects ranging from public rooftop...
Picnic Table with Power
There’s a big green roof on top of the Williamsburg offices of Vice in NYC. There is what looks like a picnic table with a solar panel sunshade nestled in the planting which designer Matt Kovaleski describes as “a space for urbanites to relax in the shade while charging whatever they need off clean energy.” This humble...
Solar Sphere Man Cave
When it comes to personal DIY projects most people might be happy with building a deck or a shed – not Jono Williams, a Plastics Engineer and Graphic Designer from New Zealand. After shooting the breeze with a mate one night, this Kiwi inventor committed to building the ultimate app-controlled treehouse. After working on the...
Seven Tips for Creating Great Community Spaces
Shared public outdoor spaces bring people together and help establish a sense of community. In fact, they are increasingly becoming one of the most sought after elements in modern communities. However, it takes adequate planning to design one that is truly useful, comfortable, attractive, and safe. Below are some ways you can develop great outdoor...
Making the Most of Limited Outdoor Spaces
With apartment blocks dominating the city skyline and homeowners preferring larger dwellings, the size of Australian backyards continues to be compromised. Between 2002 and 2012, the average block size in Australian capital cities shrunk by about 20 per cent. In the same period, the size of the house increased by nine per cent resulting in...
Floating Green Path
Rather than the addition of a traditional balcony, a suspended green pathway has been suggested by a Polish architecture company for the third floor of an office building. Three floors above the regular courtyard, this whimsical green pathway will have the illusion of floating in the air, inviting the building’s inhabitants to momentarily leave their...
Lady Cilento Children’s Hospital Comes to Fruition
The newly completed Lady Cilento Children’s Hospital on Brisbane’s south bank adopts a salutogenic approach to healing. The term coined late last century by Aaron Antonovsky refers to the utilisation of factors that support well-being and health, rather than those that cause disease. Aspects such as clear way finding, allusions to the surrounding environment, stunning...
5 Ways to Prevent Accidents in Public Parks
Parks play a huge role in giving the public a sense of wellbeing and a higher standard of living. They provide people with enjoyable surroundings so they spend more time outside, offer a place to engage in physical and outdoor activities, and serve as a pleasant and fun venue for get-togethers with families and friends....
Taiwan Tower
The winning design for the awe-inspiring Taiwan Tower in Taichung Gateway Park was selected back in 2011. Tipped to be the Taiwanese equivalent of the Eiffel Tower, the development sees a triangular section of the park essentially suspended 300m into the air. With no solid structure underneath save a selection of steel support beams, the...
Beirut Breaks Ground
A unique design challenge has been presented to the architects behind a new 11-storey residential building in the trendy neighbourhood of Mar Mikhael in Beirut. The unique design challenge comes in the form of a heritage listed, charming little cottage built in the 1920’s, which resides adjacent to the construction site. Immediately calling to mind...
Melbourne Lights Up
Tired and weary travellers no need to be hesitant! A dynamic and absorbing new light installation has just been completed at Melbourne Airport. A decidedly contemporary update to the terminal façade, the forecourt and smaller individual surrounding sites are set to be a permanent addition to the infrastructure. A 14m illuminated ‘Melbourne’ sign characterises the...
Street (Creeks) Ahead
Rainwater gardens are set to vastly improve the water quality in NYC. A city that virtually screams ‘technologically advanced’ it’s hard to believe New Yorkers haven’t quite figured out how exactly, and effectively, to keep sewage and stormwater separate and avoid Combined Sewage Overflow (CSOs) resulting from heavy rainfall. Architect Ate Atema recently released a...
