3 months of travelling has exposed me to many places, people, and ideas - what a joy! The following talks about some initial take aways, that have taken a while to emerge from the nearly lost draft :-).
Singapore
creating a vision of “a city in a biophilic city” that is backed up with requirements for developments to make this happen works and is delightful!
paying your politicians well and holding them to account for everything they do (and don’t do) seems to enable them to make good things happen for the majority of people
London
lots of good architects doing good things, and lots of architects continuing with BAU with a green tinge…
gardens in the dense city are such a relief!
Bilbao
what a great demonstration of facing a very difficult situation (loss of manufacturing in the 70’s, a devastating flood in 1983 etc) by creating a vision for a new future and then enacting it over many years
great places can be created when cars are constrained and space is well designed for people and landscaping
architecture can be a powerful catalyst for positive change
Barcelona
Gaudi was a genius and his work is so inspiring on so many levels, showing spirituality and nature are intrinsically linked
as with Bilbao, great places can be created when cars are constrained and space is well designed for people and landscaping
density can be done well but requires considered design
South of France
tightly planned villages set in rural landscapes are very seductive!
when artists and architects collaborate they can make magic happen :-)
making more of existing buildings, in whatever state they are in, is both possible and enriching
Rome
the eternal city is just that - but is getting a little too full of cars and tourists (of which we were part…)
this is a showcase in recycling of buildings and materials over thousands of years
the amount of wealth and privilege enjoyed by some families and the Catholic Church is overwhelming… it is good to see much of this open to the public, but does call much into question
it is astounding to see how much love and devotion there has been for the Catholic Church over the years, witnessed in the incredible properties and artwork dedicated to the faith - people obviously can throw themselves and everything they have into things they believe in
imperfection is ok
Vetralla
small walled towns are fascinating places where lots of different people can live together
individuals / couples / families can make a huge difference to a place when they bring their interests and skills to bear on making things happen
Sardinia
an island in the middle of the Mediterranean with many different resources certainly has a rich history to be enjoyed
revealing this history is a gift from the past for the present and the future
beautiful beaches and waters definitely need to be protected
Scandinavia
Copenhagen
good design is needed to turn problems into solutions
education that supports active, well-informed, diverse citizens is critical
good cities requires many collaborators who strive to bring the best out in each other
Stockholm
lots of big thinkers changing the world come from cold climates!
witches are great ladies bravely contributing to the world
archipelagoes are great (and beautiful) places to find security from invaders :-)
Oslo
more big thinkers in cold climates
architecture that gives to the city and the public is even more beautiful
Utrecht
the IEA EBC (International Energy Agency’s Energy in Buildings and Communities) is doing a huge range of well researched, interesting work
I am excited to be part of the team to help them present this more impactfully to their stakeholders
Utrecht is a fascinating city with so much interesting history, canals and architecture
2025 is aiming to be a more grounded year in Australia, where I can find time and space to integrate the many ideas I was so lucky to be exposed to into my work.