Plunder our brains and the brains of global experts in our Knowledge section. Find out the latest news, trends and ideas across every area of design thinking and practice including interiors, buildings, precincts and cities.
From light and acoustics to thermal stability and spatial layout, the built environment of the intensive care unit (ICU) can shape patient experience, staff wellbeing, and even recovery outcomes. Yet our most recent study offers a sobering insight: even in well-designed ICU rooms, environmental conditions often fail to support sleep, one of the most basic physiological needs.
Palliative care environments are among the most emotionally and physically demanding spaces in healthcare. The design of the physical environment is often overlooked or treated as a secondary concern, but it can be a powerful contributor to all occupants.
The Australian Centre for Sports Aerodynamics (ACSA) offers something rare: the opportunity to extract real-world performance gains from aerodynamic refinement and advanced modelling, and not just for cyclists. It’s time that sporting organisations, coaches, and athletes across a range of disciplines recognise that ACSA is not merely a wind tunnel, but a performance partner.
As part of her Master’s thesis at the University of Western Australia, Jessica Gibbs explored how marine bio-based materials such as shells, seaweed and seagrasses can be used to create viable substitutes for traditional building products, with the potential to transform our built environment without harm.
Looking at current attitudes to modular construction in Australia, Talia Uylaki has written a comprehensive research study informed by industry surveys with built environment professionals. She considers the challenges and perceived benefits of modular as well as the strategies to help build confidence in Australia’s modular construction industry.
Hospitals are meant to be places of healing, yet for many patients, the very environments designed to support their recovery can make rest difficult. Sleep is often interrupted, natural light and its intensity is limited during the day, and often at night lighting and noise levels are too high – all of which can slow recovery and prolong hospital stays.
