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fea tures Donald Trump as the unlikely
protagonist. NC\'C' one
toignorcanopfXl'1unity to maKJmlsc in~·estmetlls. Trump once attempted to lure Awn tel'+c)nls to his New YOfk; property b'J h1nng !eng shUI experts to determine the auspiciousness of Trump tnternat1ooal Hotel and Tower. Today the boild1ng ts famous for the large silver globe that flanks the entrance- app.,Jrently a !eng sh01 adtuslment to deflect negative cnerg-1 fromstreettrafriC. "I'd guess 11 m1Bhl have made a difference: Trump told a rnag.:Jzine in 2C09. "It certainly didn't hurt us. Feng shui creates a baLance that I bel.eveadds to the comfort of rooms and sp.Xes. that's felt by guests and residents.·
If there's a more than a h1nt of ambcvalcocc here about fengsllUI, Trump's motJvating assumpbon is lc$5 corllrovcrSIJl. The Idea that bUll! cnwonmcnts c.:~n influence a person's wcll·bcmg has tx:cn Widely intuited t1t Cloctors and architects 101' dcc.ldcs. Far !rom being a given, however. the ways inwhiCharchitcciUrc t:~nd dCSlgn affect t1eallh -and thcaiiLmportant flnancl<)llmplieatioos -!Sa developing field of research. One place thi5 Ciln be seen is in the WOOl of HCillth.:lbltill. un Auslrillian-bascd PfrliliC p.:~rtncrshLp bctv.'CCnunarchitcct. a thoc'acic physickm <Jnd an ilnlhropologist trained 1n public and cnvironmcnlill health. Founded on the prcmi!.c that !I i'OIJ LffiJ)rO'<'C dcla1ls of the physic<! I Cn\llronmcnt pcop!c"s health c.1n also be imprO\•ed, HcalthJbl!al ong1n.:ll!y set out to ilssist md1gcnoos communities by break1ng thiS common assumpli0000/.'!1 mtocmpnic<ll mcaSI.Jres. '"E\'Crylxldy knows that health is affected by environment. .. Pilul Pholcros, HC<lllhabrl's .;,rchltcct and lllilnagLngdircctor, says. The
grcatleapof Healthabitat w.;,s to ask: "\>'lh!ch t:Mts, and in what prl0f1ty, affect health?" Months of study led to the ctcat.ioo of a fLst of nnw healthy living practlCCS, m.1ny of vmich soom self-evident to an estabhshed Western audience {such as redlJCingovercrowdLngand re/T"IOVlng waste wilter safely). But these basic rules have the effect 0: dr<rMng attention to the undertying health benefitS 0: good architecture: wtly, preciSC!y, do modern buildlngs 'Mll'k as elfectr.-ely as they do? By exploung this questoo, Healthabitat has been able to retrofit homcslfor a fllOdest $750J per unit), significantly~ the physical wellbeing of thcusaods of people. In 2010, iln mdcpcndcntstudy by the NSW Dcp.:~rtmcnt of Hca!tll found a 40 pet cent reduction in ~tal adrtli$Sloos among procrampart!cil)(lnts. "If that was a drug tnal, and you got 10 to 15 per cent rcdoction, 11 would be front page news.· Pholcrossays. Nor C<Jn this rcwlt be d~I!.Sed as il spccilocally rural indi~ ISSUe. Thovgtl the study was lar~ ignored 111 Austra!La, Hcalthabiklt WilS invited to pilot the program Ln il dense urban neighbourhood of Br(l()lc;tyn,
BUILDING BETTER HEALTH From feng shui to Green Star ratings, there's a growing trend to make the spaces we live
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in nurture our own health and that of the planet, and to understand why certain places work so well.
Nev; Vert. The hcJ~tly Irving practices were found 10 be I.Ygcty applicable aod effective, v.t.ch has led ~coniii'IUII"IQ finanaal suppon for the Pftllp'Ml M thO US federal~
He<J•hy arehilocture .s. tundamerltaty, based on the S3fTie Uf'IOeftyi~ princie:*S. reg,YdJcs.SdcontC:XL f'hysjcalhe.11hl$odyon&partol
Thot.8'l more dtficiAIIOQU.Yiht)',J)&ICholo£icalhealhrS bcglnnllgiO reccrve greatCf atteftiOO. can ccling heflhl at1oct creatMt:f. can ~~grt influcnco stress t~ncl deptessm levels? can VIC'>VS of greenery Md vcgetation reduce domestic violcncc7 StudiCS suegest a conelation in al of these cases, and an Ac.xlemy of Neuroscience ror Atchltec:tLte has been founded in Safl Die@:>, callorru, 10 aci'Yance understanding of mental resplrUS 10 the buitt ef'Mronmeot. The reseatc.h II nol ~ lheaetical. eihef. Whai.ALln Dlani, thcditedor &enef31ol the Swed.st'l·based ~ernabonal Acaclcmy for Oesel m Heltlh,. cals "dese'llhat
a~ehdc<::ture'$ ~ hOweWir-
sbmueate:s~~h.lsagro'Nii"IQ
sett.re>are kl!UICNelrindudedr~officeand
fobw:"8 tn c::cnemporary architecture, both
residef'WI bUild~ Indeed, the fT\iWitet IS .11 dflYifll foroe for thrs. ~In the marketplace, there'sag.rcatamotlflt
ir11ernati0NIIy
and'" Australa.
U~prisK!g1y,
tho frortlefdttlis\11101'1(1ies
::;~~~=~=~::::a:n ~~~~:;;;:e~~::~ IIi
sp.x:es and the lnllucnce of parl<land senillgs
the staff needs Dre.·
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N turc wJS pushed l»ckwards. · sa)S Kristen Whittle, cl•cc10f riBates Sm.art Architects. "Soence,otthodclllyandregjmefltation
became the di'Mn.• pnncoo... _ , _ _
_,. . . . ,_. .
human comlortwith SU!.&alnabllity and I assesses elements i ke air qwllty, ligtlt and , ~cllheoutdoots.IEQcouldbesaldiO CCI¥ef, rl J)o)rt.. a buldlre's potcntltll m~ on
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Physical health is only one part of architecture's impact, and psychological health is now receiving greater attention.
Rom~ ly Mitdcw, chief exocutm at the Green Bt.IK<"I"6 eovnc•ot Avstr~iit. points 10
AvW<1Ii<t's fl~t six-sw Green SUM'· rated builcling. the City of Melbourne's Counc~ Hoose 2 tCt-12). Citine the he<~~ thy inrerior enwonment. ~ rv;tcsthilt a POGHx:wpancy~ ~found ~I.ICtNly t'05C b)'
10 9 per cent.
with~nC$llmilledam~C05(S<M~of
$2 mllon. 5ml.lt!v. tc:~c~Mrc•nl£0 r~!:OOCoii15Stroetln
sn:c: &he 1970s. bulclrvs such as the new
Melxlume round a 39 per cert recb:OOn .,
Royal Children's t-tosQcall'l Melbot.me anct
~$1Ckie;M!<&aysperempbfee..
thcD.1~mer'lla1healthlaciities,tnthe
CUflousjy, staff alSo lyped9 percent taster. "lthWlkthebestarcllteciSIM'Iderstandthe human conditiOn.~ says 'Mltl.lle from Bates Smart, wOO rs work.lrc on the futute global headquarters ~ BHP, the f1rst premium-grade, six-star Green Slar offiCe tower to be buill in Melbourne lrl20 years. featur~ns underfloor OJ•• dastnbution aod open vews ol the city's river comdor ·ArcMecture'sfun:tamentat groondJl81S reaty about lhe ~man condilm, and mpn:Mf1llhe ht.ll1\ln ccnchtlon,·he s.l')'S..
cqts sooth-cast. are beglnnirc 10 reverse thrs trcnd.wt1inlei)Oiotsto lheulSpi!'alJond
l.lndscapo and an lde3 ol "sofl. fasonat.on-. "(l.;)ndSCl.lpe) is tfarlSI3\ed Into evet')1hing from wals tosl8ircases to the use of natural ~ght," he says. "On one sidell seek5 to calm andtorefl"'IYe Slfess.biA•t a!So~ers
interest aod ~ stimolation, whil:h coltiYilteS therrind .n avery 1)051\ M!!way."
An unc:tetst.rdirc a U'l$ s . ., plrt, ~ WhltUI speak.s.abrul aprnal
Per~Tn.rr.p,VIhenhecakd lf'll:hefung
l.l1derst.ar'lcreof~pethatrs hlfd-wnod
shu! rnastas. had • Sfn!Qr Idea. Kreas¥9Y.
into Otl bodies and bran$ trwoceh CIUf
~.wdlbet"~WIIben"''eth.Yian
ed.JIIonll'loai:U'al ~And hero
afterthought, kl belddres:scdthrot.W'I rTIIOOf
conr!dert that, n Austraha. Slmiar pth::l~
c:orrectJOns .ndes9'1. It~ be kJremasl in lhe masle< plan.
ollherap@WC IIWU. sp.x:e ~ nd parldand
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