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2017 Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat
International Conference
30 October – 3 November 2017
Enjoy a five-day conference that brings together presentations,
exhibitions and panel discussions that address the 2017 theme of
“Connecting the City: People, Density and Infrastructure.” Moving
the conversation beyond the tall building, the conference aims to
discuss skyscrapers becoming “connectors” in the city, in the
context of urban densification.
ctbuh2017.com03
International Making Cities Liveable Design Competition
Entries close 31 October 2017
The 2018 IMCL Design Competition is calling for submissions for
the design of “healthy, ten-minute neighbourhoods” that emphasize
community, health, sustainability and equity.
livablecities.org01
The Moderns: European Designers in Sydney
On until 26 November 2017
At this new Museum of Sydney exhibition, find out about the stories
of Sydney’s émigré architects, interior designers and furniture makers
working in the 1930s to 1960s and their impact on the development
of modernist design. It includes the work of designers George Korody
and Steven Kalmar, cabinet-makers Michael Gerstl and Paul Kafka and
architects Henry Epstein and Hugh Buhrich.
sydneylivingmuseums.com.auT
he indoor–outdoor connection is one of the most discussed
and desirable aspects of residential architecture. We’ve also
become indoor plant obsessed. But what are the reasons
behind this desire to be connected with nature? “Biophilia”
is a term first used by psychologist Erich Fromm in 1964 and
popularized by biologist Edward O. Wilson in his 1984 book
Biophilia. In basic terms it denotes the love of nature and living
things, stemming from our biology and genetics. Related to this
is stress reduction theory, proposing that natural environments
encourage recovery from stress, while urban built environments
can actually hinder the recovery process. Until recently there hasn’t
been strong scientific evidence that nature is good for your mental
health – but that is now changing, and what is known as “biophilic
design” is being used to respond to these studies.
Good residential design facilitates a meaningful relationship
with nature, rather than just giving a tokenistic nod to the indoor–
outdoor “seamless connection” trend. A project in this issue that
achieves this beautifully is A Pavilion Between Trees by Branch
Studio Architects (page 46). It began with a design scheme that
worked around a silver birch, a desert ash and an heirloom pear
tree already established on the site. The experience of the completed
extension is focused on a connection with nature, with a series
of platforms that gradually raise the floor level and create a subtly
different relationship to the landscape in each section.
At Welsh and Major Architects’ Annandale House (page 96),
an unprogrammed space at the centre of the home is open to the
sky, with a semi-mature fiddle-leaf fig planted in a hole in the slab.
Natural light and fresh air come from above, but this space can be
covered by a mechanically powered sliding glass roof. At Gibbon
Street by Cavill Architects (page 38), the planted courtyard and
green roof give the impression that the home might eventually
be enveloped by nature and the sitting room is positioned to offer
“a genuinely external experience.” Waterloo House by Anthony
Gill Architects (page 82) overcomes a seemingly impossible
challenge by making a connection with the outdoors within the
tight constraints of a terrace house, including an outdoor bathroom
complete with a basin and vanity. Similarly, an outdoor shower is
contained within a Japanese-style courtyard at B.E Architecture’s
Armadale Residence (page 122), allowing the experience of a natural
environment to become part of the daily routine.
Far from simply following a design trend, these indoor–outdoor
connections add value to daily life and enable a relationship with
nature that contributes to happier minds and homes.Katelin Butler
Write to me at
[email protected]
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Mansfield House, Stokes Point by Dr Henry Epstein (1959).
© Max Dupain Archives, State Library of NSW. Courtesy of Epstein family.