Plants can talk. For a long time, that belief was dismissed as woolly nonsense. But the more we come to know about plants and their properties, the more scientists are becoming convinced that plants really can communicate. And they do that quite ingeniously. Plants pick up signals from their surroundings, process that information and Read More
In the US, her home country, Elizabeth Nelson both witnessed and experienced the effect that a 'non-stop-till-you-drop' work ethos combined with a sitting culture in unhealthy buildings has on people. That must and can change, she felt. It's high time for a working environment where people play the key role. She switched from business Read More
There has recently been a growing interest in incorporating nature into design and building, known in the jargon as "biophilic design". It produces buildings which feel good and in which people feel better. And consequently perform better. In the workplace, for instance, it goes hand in hand with lower sickness absence rates and higher Read More
On Wednesday 18 May, following their report on health, welfare and productivity in offices published last year, the Dutch Green Building Council held a seminar with lectures on health in buildings. The venue was the auditorium of the Haga Hospital in The Hague, the first BREEAM certified hospital in the Netherlands. There was a Read More
In a time where more and more people suffer from the negative effects of living, working and learning in insufficiently ventilated and smelly buildings, it can’t be stated often enough: plants clean the air. By gaining more knowledge about the air-purifying qualities of specific plants, consumers as well as educational and healthcare institutions could Read More
A safe and warm place where cancer patients and their families feel welcome and can be among themselves; this is what Maggie Keswick Jencks envisioned in 1993. A place where information is given and social support, dietary and exercise advice as well as relaxation therapy are readily available. A place to meet. In 1993 Read More
The historic Korenbeurs in Schiedam will get a new role. This old building, where grain used to be traded for the Schiedam gin distilleries, has been transformed to house the municipal library. A striking feature is the indoor garden of the library, which can be enjoyed by all visitors. And this is great, because Read More
How can you design workplaces where people feel at ease and work to the best of their ability? This is a relevant question for a growing number of organizations. And it’s an important one too, as most people spend a lot of their time in buildings that could harm their health. Gary Cooper, Professor Read More
Growing up and living in the concrete environment of the city does not really benefit people’s wellbeing and vitality. But why is this? What is the effect of the city on our brain? Or of nature, for that matter. IVN, the Dutch institute for nature education and durability, asked scientific journalist Mark Mieras to Read More
