Biophilic Solutions: Nature Has the Answers

Latest Episodes:

The Life Changing Power of Outdoor Adventure with Shelby Stanger Feb 06, 2024

Show notes

Our guest today, Shelby Stanger, believes that a little bit of outdoor adventure is the key to a full and happy life. In fact, Shelby credits her own experiences surfing and escaping her comfort zone with catapulting her into a totally new life path. Today, Shelby is the host of the Wild Ideas Worth Living podcast and the author of Will To Wild: Adventures Big and Small to Change Your Life, a field guide of sorts for anyone interested in seeking more adventure. The best part? For Shelby, deep transformation doesn’t require an expensive retreat or tons of self-help books - simply getting outside on a consistent basis can completely shift your perspective and lead to meaningful growth.

In this episode, we chat with Shelby about the power of awe, a few particularly inspiring stories from her amazing book (seriously - we can’t recommend it enough!) and the magic you find out on the trails.
Show Notes

Key Words: Nature, Adventure, Wildness, Biophilia, Biophilic Design, Wellness, Self Help, Recreation, Outdoor Recreation, Surfing, Surf, Nature, Nature Based Solutions

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The High Line, Therme, & Social Infrastructure with Robert Hammond Jan 23, 2024

Show notes

Our guest today, Robert Hammond, has dedicated his life to creating vibrant public spaces that foster human connection, wellbeing, and bring out the best in our communities. In the late 90’s, Robert, alongside business partner Joshua David, co-founded New York City’s iconic High Line, transforming an abandoned rail line into a lush greenway that connects 1.5 miles of Manhattan. After over two decades at The High Line, Robert took on a new role as President and Chief Strategy Officer at Therme US, a global company that is revolutionizing the ancient practice of thermal bathing in order to bring wellness to people from all walks of life.

In this episode, we chat with Robert about his incredible career, the importance of public spaces that foster social infrastructure, and his ultimate goal to democratize wellness (and make it a little more fun in the process).

Show Notes

Key Words: High Line, Friends of the High Line, New York, New York City, Green Infrastructure, Social Infrastructure, Therme, Thermal Bathing, Wellness, Biophilia, Biophilic, Nature Based Solutions, Nature

Ellen M. Bassett on Design Innovation, Urban Planning, and Global Perspectives Dec 20, 2023

Show notes

Thoughtful and creative design can change the world, from the products we use every day to innovative and climate-resilient buildings, to entire cities that prioritize the health and vitality of the people who live in them. Our guest today is Dr. Ellen Bassett, the John Portman Dean of the College of Design at Georgia Tech, where such innovation is taking place on a daily basis. Ellen’s background lies in urban planning with areas of expertise in land use planning and law, sustainability, health and the built environment, and international development particularly in the Global South.

In this interview, Monica and Jennifer catch up with Ellen about where her interest in urban planning began, the importance of using biophilic design across disciplines, and the impactful years she spent abroad working in Kenya.

Show Notes

Key Words: Georgia Tech, Design, College of Design, Urban Planning, Land Use, Land Planning, Land Law, Kenya, Africa, Architecture, Built Environment, Urban Sprawl, Atlanta, Nature, Nature Based Solutions, Climate Change, Climate Resilience, Biophilia, Biophilic Design

The 2023 Biophilic Holiday Reading List Dec 05, 2023

Show notes

It’s officially cozy season! This week, Monica and Jennifer are back with another roundup of biophilic holiday reads, perfect for gifting or curling up with by the fireplace. So, whether you’re looking for a beautiful coffee table book, inspiring looks at the science of spirituality, or words of wisdom inspired by nature, keep on listening.

Shownotes

Biophilic Solutions on Bookshop.org
The 2024 Biophilic Leadership Summit
Wild: The Naturalistic Garden by Clare Takacs and Noel Kingsbury
Design a healthy home by Oliver Heath
How to Be More Tree: Essential Life Lessons for Perennial Happiness by Potter Gift and Annie Davidson
Thin Place Design: The Architecture of the Numinous by Dr. Phillip James Tabb
The Transcendent Brain: Spirituality in the Age of Science by Alan Lightman
The Creative Act: A Way of Being by Rick Rubin
The Language of Trees: A Rewilding of Literature and Landscape by Katie Holten

Key Words: Biophilic, Biophilia, Nature, Nature Based Solutions, Reading, Holiday, Gifts, Book, Book List, Science, Spirituality, Trees, Garden, Gardening, Natural Garden, Thin Places, Creativity, Literature, Landscape, Clare Takacs, Noel Kingsbury, Oliver Heath, Potter Gift, Annie Davidson, Phil Tabb, Phillip James Tabb, Alan Ligthman, Rick Rubin, Katie Holten

Public Green Space is Essential Infrastructure with George Dusenbury Nov 21, 2023

Show notes

Everyone should live within 10 minutes of a public park. Why? Because public green space improves overall health, strengthens community ties, combats climate change, and - when implemented correctly - reduces inequality. Our guest today is George Dusenbury, Vice President Southern Region and the Georgia State Director at the Trust for Public Land, an organization whose mission is to expand access to the outdoors by creating public parks and protecting public lands. In this episode, we explore exciting TPL initiatives like green schoolyards in New York City and the exciting Chattahoochee RiverLands Project that promises to transform the Atlanta metro area and beyond. We also discuss greenspace as essential infrastructure, the importance of local input,, and the resources available for anyone who wants to expand access to nature in their own communities.

Show Notes

Key Words: Trust For Public Land, Public Parks, Parks & Recreation, Green Space, Climate, Climate Change, Chattahoochee River, Chattahoochee RiverLands Project, Biophilia, Biophilic Design, Nature, Outdoors, Nature Based Solutions

Finding Deeper Wellness in Nature with Dr. Mark Campbell Nov 07, 2023

Show notes

On the surface, you may not think that the military or professional baseball have much to do with fields like wellness, mindfulness, or biophilia - but that’s exactly where you’d be wrong according to today’s guest, Dr. Mark Campbell. Dr. Mark is a performance psychologist and consultant who works with clients across a wide range of challenging industries to optimize their wellbeing. He got his start working as a lead for the US Army’s performance psychology and resilience program, worked closely on the DoD's Warrior Games and Prince Harry’s Invictus Games, and served as the Director of Mental Conditioning for the Washington Nationals.

Throughout his impressive career, Mark noticed the transformative impact that nature had on every single one of his clients and has made the outdoors a hallmark of his approach. He even hosts a podcast on the topic called the Nature of Wellness (NOW). We were thrilled to catch up with Mark this week to explore his impressive career, how he brings more people into nature by meeting them where they are, and his ultimate goal to legitimize the term wellness.

Show Notes

Key Words: Wellness, Psychology, Performance Psychology, Wounded Warrior Project, Veterans, Invictus Games, Warrior Games, Nature, Biophilia, Biophilic Design, Mindfulness, Sports, Athletics

Beware of Biophobia with Journalist Emily Harwitz Oct 24, 2023

Show notes

At this point, we all know that biophilia literally means the love of nature, right? But have you ever stopped to consider its opposite, biophobia? If you’re a regular listener of this podcast, we’d be willing to bet you haven’t - and to be honest, we hadn’t either until we met today’s guest, science journalist Emily Harwitz. Emily’s recent article, ‘Beware Creeping Biophobia’ was picked up by multiple outlets like The Atlantic, The Tyee, and Haikai due to its insightful breakdown of the cycle that begins when humans become irrevocably disconnected from the natural world. Basically, disconnection leads to fear, which leads to outright rejection and even destruction.

We were thrilled to catch up with Emily to break down the cycle of biophobia, how we can convert the biophobic to the biophilic, and we also dive into the reasons why humans are drawn to collecting rare species.

Show Notes

Beware Creeping Biophobia (Haikai Magazine)
Humans Fondness for the Odd and Rare Make Us Particularly Overwhelming Predators (Haikai Magazine)
I’ll Go If You Go Podcast
Emily Harwitz Website
Emily Harwitz Instagram
Jackson Wild Summit - 2023 Media Lab Fellows

Key Words: Biophobia, Biophilia, Nature, Outdoors, Journalism, Science Journalism, Ecosystem, Environment, Wildlife, Wildlife Restoration

The Economics of Biophilic Design with Bill Browning and Catie Ryan Oct 10, 2023

Show notes

The health benefits of biophilic design are well-established: reduced anxiety, improved focus, lower heart rate, and generally just better overall wellbeing. However, how do those health benefits translate to financial outcomes? How do we get more business leaders and policymakers to implement biophilic design on a broader scale? Enter the latest publication from Terrapin Bright Green, The Economics of Biophilia second edition. This new report, co-authored by today’s guests Bill Browning and Catie Ryan, looks at five sectors - offices, education, retail, hospitality, healthcare, and community - detailing the benefits of biophilic design interventions for each and then making the financial case in great detail.

In this episode, Bill and Catie share how a flood of new research led them to update their original 2012 report, how businesses and policymakers can utilize biophilic design to meet their financial objectives, and why it really all comes back to long term thinking.

Show Notes

The Economics of Biophilia: Why Designing with Nature Makes Financial Sense, second edition by Bill Browning, Catie Ryan, and Dakota Walker
Nature Inside A Biophilic Design Guide by Bill Browning and Catie Ryan
Terrapin Bright Green
Interface

Keywords: Economics, Biophilia, Biophilic Design, Nature Based Design, Nature Based, Finance, Architecture, Built Environment, Green Building, Nature, Finance

Getting Into the (Sea)Weeds with Keel Labs’ Aleks Gosiewski and Tessa Callaghan Sep 26, 2023

Show notes

For the future of sustainable textiles, should we look no further than … the ocean? Today we’re speaking with Aleks Gosiewski and Tessa Callaghan, the founders of Keel Labs, a sustainable materials company built on regenerative principles. Keel Labs’ signature product is Kelsun, a seaweed-based yarn with a significantly lower environmental footprint than traditional fibers.

Alex and Tessa met as design students at the Fashion Institute of Technology and went on to win the first-ever Biodesign Challenge in 2016. In the years since they founded Keel Labs, both women have been named as one of Forbes’ 30 Under 30. In this episode, we chat with Tessa and Aleks about the promise of kelp as a regenerative raw material, the process of turning kelp into a functional textile, and we dive into - no pun intended - the challenges and rewards of building a company with sustainable innovation at its very core.

Show Notes

Keel Labs
Forbes’ 30 Under 30 2022 (Manufacturing)
Would You Wear a Sweater Made Out of Seaweed? (HighSnobiety)
A new material made from seaweed will transform the entire textile industry by Tessa Callaghan (Upworthy)
Keel Labs on Instagram, Twitter, YouTube, TikTok, LinkedIn
Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT)
The Biodesign Challenge

Key Words: Keel, Keel Labs, Ocean, Seaweed, Kelp, Algae, Fashion, Design, Fashion Design, Textiles, Materials, Sustainability, Regenerative, Regenerative Materials, Environment, Climate, Climate Change, Climate Solutions, Biophilia, Biophilic Design, Biodesign

Buildings That Last For 500 Years with ZGF Architects’ Kathy Berg Sep 12, 2023

Show notes

This week, we’re exploring buildings that are biophilic, climate resilient, and set the gold standard for net positive, responsible design. Specifically, we’ll dive deep into two projects by ZGF Architects, an industry leader in sustainable and regenerative design: Portland’s PAE Building, the first developer-driven Living Building, and the very biophilic expansion of the main terminal at Portland International Airport.

Our guest today is Kathy Berg, a partner with ZGF, who worked closely on both projects. In this episode, we chat with Kahty about bringing nature into the built environment, designing buildings meant to last into the distant future, and the amazing technology that supports climate resilience.

Show Notes

ZGF Architects
About Kathy Berg
PAE Engineers, The PAE Living Building
Port of Portland, PDX Airport Main Terminal Expansion
Follow ZGF Architects on Instagram, LinkedIn, YouTube

Key Words: Biophilia, Biophilic Design, Biophilic Architecture, Architecture, Living Building, Living Building Challenge, Sustainability, Climate Resilience, Green Building, Built Environment, Nature, Nature Based Solutions

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