Last Child in the Woods: Saving Our Children From Nature-Deficit Disorder

Occupant productivity and office indoor environment quality: A review of the literature

The Amygdala: Neurobiological Aspects of Emotion, Memory, and Mental Dysfunction

Getting Back into Place: Toward a Renewed Understanding of the Place-World

Cartesian Meditations: An Introduction to Phenomenology

This paper discusses the first phase of a longitudinal study underway in Australia to ascertain the broad health benefits of specific types of biophilic design for workers in a building site office. A bespoke site design was formulated to include open plan workspace, natural lighting, ventilation, significant plants, prospect and views, recycled materials and use of non-synthetic materials. Initial data in the first three months was gathered from a series of demographic questions and from interviews and observations of site workers. Preliminary data indicates a strong positive effect from incorporating aspects of biophilic design to boost productivity, ameliorate stress, enhance well-being, foster a collaborative work environment and promote workplace satisfaction, thus contributing towards a high performance workspace. The longitudinal study spanning over two years will track human-plant interactions in a biophilic influenced space, whilst also assessing the concomitant cognitive, social, psychological and physical health benefits for workers.

https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/11/12/12204/pdf

Are biophilic-designed site office buildings linked to health benefits and high performing occupants?

With growing disconnection from the natural world, educators who work in the outdoors need to philosophically rethink their modus operandi. Past efforts by adventure and outdoor educators to promote connection with nature have often centred upon risk-centric approaches incorporating adventure-fuelled and high-adrenalin activities. This paper explores how the Arts may be incorporated into ecopedagogies, and what creative work can reveal about the nature of communication with the environment. ‘Touched by the Earth’ is a year-long place-based enrichment programme using multi-modal creative methods with young adolescent participants. Our research addressed the following questions: what does it mean to be ‘Touched by the Earth’; and how can the Arts amplify a personal relationship with the environment? Data were collected through interviews as well as student-generated material such as artefacts, video and photographs and field observation. Our findings indicate the crucial role the Arts can play in embodied a...

‘Touched by the Earth’: a place-based outdoor learning programme incorporating the Arts

/pdf/meeting-country-deep-engagement-with-place-and-indigenous-lta6qxw7dr.pdf

Meeting country : deep engagement with place and indigenous culture

The origins of this article lie in my own need for developing a deeper relationship with place What is offered is a series of steps or a sequence of experiences that facilitate a way of being with place My own experiences in this article are taken from an encounter in one specific place, on the far south coast of NSW, interspersed with various aspects of the discourse on place, mostly from an ecological worldview

Carol Birrell

Papers

Are biophilic-designed site office buildings linked to health benefits and high performing occupants?

‘Touched by the Earth’: a place-based outdoor learning programme incorporating the Arts

Meeting country : deep engagement with place and indigenous culture

A Deepening Relationship with Place

A case study of women and adventure : "Life is either a daring adventure or nothing" : the lure of adventure travel for women