Explore every episode of the podcast Ecogradia

How can we design interiors that not only minimise environmental harm, but also actively promote human well-being? Some architects and designers are sparking fresh ideas about how our built spaces can perform better.

The post 5 interiors designed to boost mind, body, and work appeared first on Ecogradia.

Are skyscrapers environmental foes or allies? It's a thorny debate, but tall buildings are likely here to stay. Can these giants evolve from being part of the problem to pillars of a sustainable future?

The post High ambitions: Are tall buildings sustainable? appeared first on Ecogradia.

In many cities today, there is a striking disconnect between people and nature. Can biocentric urban landscapes help integrate social functions with natural systems?

The post Urban biodiversity: Crafting biocentric public spaces appeared first on Ecogradia.

The solarpunk movement in fiction, art, fashion, and activism imagines a sustainable civilisation and considers how we get there. After gaining traction for a decade, how does it align with the latest thinking in regenerative design?

The post How solarpunk envisions a world we will want to live in __ Jay Springett appeared first on Ecogradia.

None have reached age 40 yet, but each is in a position of influence in the sustainability space. Looking back, did it all go to plan? How is passion kept alive, against the odds? When saving the planet, is work-life balance a luxury?

The post How three leaders under 40 built successful careers in sustainability appeared first on Ecogradia.

A hyperlocal building taps into the knowledge, skills, and resources indigenous to a place. How can the very act of constructing it engage and positively transform a community?

The post Architectural acupuncture II: Hyperlocal design for community appeared first on Ecogradia.

In resource-constrained places, small can be powerful. How can a building, acting strategically as an acupunctural node, transform its neighbourhood socially, economically, and ecologically?

The post Architectural acupuncture I: Small projects, big impact appeared first on Ecogradia.

The path to net-zero energy is filled with promise. Campus buildings offer a unique opportunity: they can be testbeds for new ideas and may also double as teaching tools.

The post Green campus blueprints: Crafting net-zero architecture appeared first on Ecogradia.

Can architecture heal our planet? In this bonus episode, we delve into the power of regenerative design. From restoring existing structures to rethinking material ownership, find out how sustainability and healing go hand in hand.

The post Repair, rejuvenation, and regeneration __ Season 4 insights appeared first on Ecogradia.

All the noise around sustainability can be dizzying. In this episode, Bjarke Ingels returns to discuss BIG’s Plan for the Planet. Can a global framework based on real-world strategies help us achieve better individual solutions?

The post BIG has a plan for the planet: Can it be done? __ Bjarke Ingels appeared first on Ecogradia.

How will Australia reconcile its sprawling suburbs with urgent sustainability needs? Tone Wheeler addresses this tension, challenging deeply ingrained cultural norms. Are tightly knit urban communities part of the solution?

The post Suburbia is sprawling (and how to fix it) __ Tone Wheeler __ environa studio appeared first on Ecogradia.

How to unlock the mind to produce better designs, faster? Võ Trọng Nghĩa explores this question, revealing a philosophy where meditation is the key to healing ourselves and saving the planet.

The post Calm the mind, connect with place __ Võ Trọng Nghĩa __ VTN Architects appeared first on Ecogradia.

Factories have always been designed for profitability. However, as the Covid pandemic highlighted, a focus on worker well-being is equally important. Can industrial building typologies rise to the challenge?

The post Industrial architecture: For efficiency and well-being appeared first on Ecogradia.

Imagine a world where your carpet reduces atmospheric carbon. In this episode, discover how Interface is making this a reality. Liz Minné discusses a range of innovative strategies that redefine our expectations of flooring.

The post Raising the floor on innovative carbon solutions __ Liz Minné __ Interface appeared first on Ecogradia.

Navigating conservation and social equity, Brinda Somaya reveals how these considerations blend into a position on sustainability in India. She offers a blueprint for design that is low-impact, contextual, and compassionate.

The post Guardian of the built and unbuilt __ Brinda Somaya __ SNK appeared first on Ecogradia.

Traditional architecture is a melting pot of history, culture and knowledge-systems spanning centuries. Its continued decline globally begs the question: what can the past offer to the present and the future?

The post Heritage and tradition: Innovating for a sustainable future appeared first on Ecogradia.

Explore the reality of greenery in architecture — pragmatic sustainability or mere aesthetics? Leonard Ng navigates the fine line, urging honesty in distinguishing between environmental impact and visual appeal.

The post Challenging the greenery facade __ Leonard Ng __ Henning Larsen appeared first on Ecogradia.

Tackling the carbon dilemma requires a fresh perspective. Stuart Smith reveals how considering a building's entire life cycle impact can simplify carbon reduction decisions, guiding us towards more sustainable choices.

The post Simplifying the carbon conundrum __ Stuart Smith __ Arup appeared first on Ecogradia.

Each building is a nexus of multiple systems ‘talking’ to each other. This integrated approach is often key to optimising performance. But how does integration work? How do you rally stakeholders and negotiate trade-offs?

The post Integrated multisystem approach: A key to sustainable design appeared first on Ecogradia.

Many countries in the developing South seek pathways to a sustainable future. Peru-based architecture firm Barclay & Crousse offers a prism on what this looks like, when it is anchored to the specifics of people, climate and place.

The post Connecting people to place __ Barclay & Crousse appeared first on Ecogradia.

Good design often reveals what we do not know we need. But such a feat depends not only on what we tweak and improve, says Kjetil Trædal Thorsen, but how we re-imagine the process. The question is: where to start?

The post Unleash the power of process __ Kjetil Trædal Thorsen __ Snøhetta appeared first on Ecogradia.

Bjarke Ingels is a global brand. Whatever one feels about starchitects in general, he is a force to be reckoned with. What does he think is the future of buildings and cities? What role will design play in solving the climate crisis?

The post How form-making will unlock the power of architecture __ Bjarke Ingels appeared first on Ecogradia.

Sustainability is a journey. Ecogradia is back with a new series of ten episodes to find out from world-leading players how to forge ahead, keep faith, beat the odds and put ideas to work, right from the drawing board.

The post Roadmaps and signposts: Experts put sustainability to work this new season appeared first on Ecogradia.

Season 3 is a wrap. What were the small and large, local and global challenges singled out throughout this series? What can we control at the drawing board and what remains beyond our grip? This is what we learned.

The post The bottom line: Global views and takeaways from season 3 appeared first on Ecogradia.

This year’s competition is now over. Out of 2,380 registrants from 114 countries, 20 entries stood above the rest. So what were the big takeaways? Who showed the most ambition? The five jury chairs are here to tell.

The post Holcim Awards 2023: Round-up in Venice with the jury chairs appeared first on Ecogradia.

How does the architecture we praise today square up with a sustainability mandate? Do green imperatives dampen the spirit at the drawing board or can they lift design excellence to new heights?

The post Paul Finch, World Architecture Festival: The tastemaker (Part 2) appeared first on Ecogradia.

How does the architecture we praise today square up with a sustainability mandate? Do green imperatives dampen the spirit at the drawing board or can they lift design excellence to new heights?

The post Paul Finch, World Architecture Festival: The tastemaker (Part 1) appeared first on Ecogradia.

Can necessity unlock greater innovation? How to create an architecture of delight and renown when the climate is harsh, resources are scarce and budgets tight? Can less ever become something more?

The post Nina Maritz, Nina Maritz Architects: The frugality champion appeared first on Ecogradia.

Could a universal process account for all things sustainable — energy, materiality, comfort, etc. — in all typologies, from resorts to low-cost buildings? Would this work in a land as vast and complex as India?

The post Ambrish Arora, Studio Lotus: The reflective practitioner appeared first on Ecogradia.

Buildings offer shelter. Good architecture does more: it is a form of care for the mind and spirit. So how do we ensure sustainable equitable care for everyone, all social and emotional needs included?

The post Tatiana Bilbao, Tatiana Bilbao ESTUDIO: The architect of care appeared first on Ecogradia.

There is wisdom in the vernacular. But does this knowledge offer something more than feel-good nostalgia? Are traditional buildings models for low-impact architecture that must be emulated?

The post Benny Kuriakose, Benny Kuriakose & Associates: The vernacularist appeared first on Ecogradia.

As we aim to 'do good', we often wrestle with what to buy. Which materials are less harmful to the planet? But can a product also be net positive? Could manufacturing help reverse global warming?

The post Nigel Stansfield, Interface: The flooring innovators appeared first on Ecogradia.

We need a transformational shift: a rethink of the way we work, the goals we set, the processes we deploy. But how should we push forward? Who can help us get to where we need to be?

The post Maria Atkinson AM, Atkinson Consultancy: The sustainability whisperer appeared first on Ecogradia.

To halt global warming, we must eliminate greenhouse gas emissions at scale and with speed. With renewables today, we can ignite a new kind of fire, one that is emissions-free and lower cost.

The post Amory Lovins, Rocky Mountain Institute: The energy guru appeared first on Ecogradia.

The climate crisis is here. Extreme weather is perturbing all lives rapidly across the world. How should buildings and cities respond? Should action be rooted in science or vernacular know-how? Or maybe both?

The post The heat is on: Pressing ahead with a third season of ten new episodes appeared first on Ecogradia.

Season 2 of Ecogradia has come to an end. Before we move on, let’s take a peek at some of the talking points that didn’t make the cut in the last ten episodes. Here is what was left 'unsaid'.

The post Looking back at season 2 from the cutting floor appeared first on Ecogradia.

Can sustainable buildings be both high-performing and beautiful? In the age of social media, image is king. Is our appetite for novel forms at odds with our goals for better performance?

The post Wong Mun Summ and Richard Hassell, WOHA: (Re)Defining beauty appeared first on Ecogradia.

Extreme weather is often a matter of life and death. How do we design for the growing frequency and ferocity of storms? Do we resist at all costs or should we build structures that give in a little to save the whole?

The post Alyssa-Amor Gibbons, Studio Amor: Standing up to hurricanes appeared first on Ecogradia.

Water is a pressing design challenge of the climate crisis. Too much or too little and we struggle to survive. What is the sweet spot where we, our cities and the ecosystems that we rely on, can thrive?

The post Herbert Dreiseitl, DREISEITLconsulting: Thinking fluid appeared first on Ecogradia.

More than a billion people are without shelter today. They could be 3 billion by 2050. Is the growing demand a giant opportunity? What if houses for those in need could produce both renewable energy and long-term profits?

The post Prasoon Kumar, BillionBricks: Innovating homes for the homeless appeared first on Ecogradia.

Tropical architecture: is it a perspective on place or a question of performance? How can architects from nations along the equator, like Indonesia, draw on local know-how rather than imported technology?

The post Daliana Suryawinata and Florian Heinzelmann, SHAU: Being tropical appeared first on Ecogradia.

Bangkok, Thailand's capital, is sinking fast, like many other cities around the world. How can urbanists turn this congested megacity, threatened by flood and saltwater intrusion, into a resilient amphibious metropolis?

The post Kotchakorn Voraakhom, LANDPROCESS: Designing cities for water appeared first on Ecogradia.

As a species, we seek closeness to nature. Designing for well-being, therefore, aims to bring nature to the heart of the built environment. But what do these ‘biophilic’ spaces feel like? And how do we set the stage to reap their benefits?

The post Bill Browning, Terrapin Bright Green: Crafting biophilic solutions appeared first on Ecogradia.

Should our buildings and cities minimise harm or do 'good' by design? In a world already at risk, less harm is no longer enough. We must repair, regenerate and create new life. So where do we start?

The post Chrisna du Plessis and Bill Reed: Regenerating life by design appeared first on Ecogradia.

What is a high-performing building? Do the two yardsticks of performance — efficiency and well-being — complement each other? If there are trade-offs, how do we prioritise?

The post Gregers Reimann, IEN Consultants: Building higher performance appeared first on Ecogradia.

Can design bridge the social and the environmental? How would a building do both, effectively? Is it possible to marry beauty and wellness with intelligence and efficiency?

The post Ashok B. Lall, Ashok B Lall Architects: Bridging the social and environmental appeared first on Ecogradia.

What matters more to a sustainable future? Better buildings or better urban systems?
What do we do, where do we start, when the answer also hinges on our relationship with natural systems?

The post Ten new episodes to keep the ball rolling, starting end-January appeared first on Ecogradia.

Cities are evolving, living systems. Why then do we design them as fixed and permanent? Is it time for a new theory of urbanism, better suited to the developing world, where urban space is often used in transient ways?

The post Rahul Mehrotra, Harvard University Graduate School of Design: The kinetic city appeared first on Ecogradia.

We all want to live closer to nature. But can urban landscapes be designed to mimic natural systems and processes? And if replicated, what would a nature-based design approach mean to future cities?

The post Yu Kongjian, Turenscape: Landscape as ‘art of survival’ appeared first on Ecogradia.

Can a building address local and global imperatives? Can it be informed by the vernacular and yet be energy efficient? Can it be locally attuned and low carbon? What would this look like, say, in a place like India?

The post Manit and Sonali Rastogi, Morphogenesis: ‘An architecture of almost somewhere’ appeared first on Ecogradia.