How was your week? Mine was filled with lots of shifts...shifting from summer mode to school mode, shifting furniture around to make better use of our physical spaces as my family studies and works from home and shifting my mindset away from worry and anxiety about our world affairs. All of this shifting has me thinking about the importance of our physical space; how we use it and how the importance of it has come into sharp relief during the pandemic.
In the summer months people have been sprucing up their outdoor spaces-I know we certainly have. Between our deck and back garden we’ve created two more living spaces that offer the sensory delight of chirping birds, glowing lightning bugs and the symphony of cicadas. It’s no wonder I find this soothing and recent research backs this up showing that spending time in one’s garden increases well-being.
My back yard garden has provided us with hours of soothing time.
This week’s theme explores the concept of physical spaces. The spaces we inhabit, the communities around them, and how it can impact our day to day life and well being. Learning how to adapt some of your space for at-home school and work, the importance of architecture, how spaces can be created sustainably, and how to creatively adapt our personal and public spaces is the crux of this week’s curation.
Enjoy your weekend,
Suzanne
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- Simple design fixes to add some more structure to your family’s virtual learning routine
- Sustainable architecture is important now more than ever – these designs utilize biomimicry, solar energy, and innovative tech for environmentally friendly spaces
- With the drive-through dining becoming more important during COVID, these chains are re-imagining their drive-throughs
- Easy design fixes that use the five senses as inspiration for a peaceful space
- COVID19 and more time at home has changed the way we use our homes and what we need-hint..the open floor plan just may not be de rigeur right now
- 16 buildings described by experts as some of the best architecture of this century
- 20 more international architectural designs that are as exciting as they are beautiful
- A 1.73 acre rooftop farm near Bangkok combines sustainable concepts and beautiful design for a massive organic farm in the heart of a university campus
Things to Do Around the World
- London’s V&A museum is hosting a talk (in-person and online) by Dan Pearson who will discuss remarkable design and evolution of the Hokkaido-based garden known as Tokachi Millenium Forest
- The Cooper Hewitt is offering a virtual class on brainstorming
- Scroll through Apartment Therapy’s seemingly endless tours of cool spaces around the world
- Tour the magnificent Chatsworth House, home of the Duke of Devonshire, from the comfort of your home
- The National Gallery of Ireland offers this podcast about the artist colonies during the second half of the 20th century
- Want to dip your toe into studying architecture? These edX architecture classes are free and wide-ranging
- These TED Talks feature architects speaking about issues in design and the ways in which they use creativity in their architectural responses