Organic architecture is a design philosophy that emphasizes the harmony between human habitation and the natural world. Perhaps the most famous example of this philosophy is Frank Lloyd Wright’s famous Fallingwater—a building that seems to grow out of its very surroundings. Wright designed the building to be a retreat for its owners, a space for calm and healing. Read more
We take this opportunity to express our sincere appreciation to our staff, partners, and all team members for their hard work and dedication over the past year. As we moved to a post-pandemic world, it has been rewarding to be able to contribute our services to the community, and to have worked with amazing teams. We look forward to the opportunity to achieve even more together in 2023. Read more
The Metaverse
In the early 70s, Star Trek fans were introduced to the immersive fantasy of what came to be known as the Holodeck. Today, technology is turning that fantasy into reality. Recently, Facebook rebranded itself as Meta, introducing the world to the Metaverse. Drawing on the technologies of Virtual Reality (VR), Augmented Reality (AR), and the immersive experiences of online gaming, the Metaverse aims to bring people together in virtual spaces and augment the real world.
September is back-to-school month, so we’re taking a look at some of the lessons we have learned through our educational design work with Inuit communities.
Building schools in the far north presents unique challenges that require special attention from our design teams. Often, the communities we work with have populations of less than 1,000 inhabitants, so a school project represents an important addition to the area. Schools in remote communities need to serve a dual purpose as educational facilities during the day and community hubs after hours. Delivering an educational facility that can meet the intersectional needs of different stakeholders requires careful listening and sharing to create understanding and acceptance. Read more
User experience (UX) design is typically a term used by digital architects when building websites. This nomenclature borrows from the mechanisms of complex wayfinding design in cartography and real-world architecture. Recently, researchers have been using Virtual Response testing to capture biometric data that can, in turn, help architects and designers deliver truly intuitive experiences for staff, patients, and visitors alike when navigating healthcare services in real-world facilities. Read more
In 1998, biochemist Katalin Karikó bumped into Drew Weissman while waiting to make some photocopies in a research facility where they both worked. The rest, to beat on an old cliche, is history. A microbiologist, Weissman was intrigued by messenger RNA (mRNA) which brings our cells the blueprints for our DNA. Karikó, meanwhile, was convinced that mRNA could unlock cures for devastating diseases like cancers. That early chance conversation led to a series of events that eventually allowed a novel technology to become a crucial tool in fighting the COVID-19 pandemic. Read more
In our last blog post, we explored some of the technologies that will create the smart hospitals of tomorrow. This month, we’ll look at how, as designers, we can plan for future innovation while also addressing some of the potential pitfalls to which adopting new technologies can lead.
In one of our recent company-wide Friday Morning Breakfast workshops, the Parkin team looked at the potential of smart technology in the healthcare sector. We also discussed possible challenges and implications that these innovations might have for patients and staff in the future. Technology will transform the healthcare sector and designers can ensure that decisions made today have positive impacts on patients and staff in the future. Read more
