This book is a scholarly collection of essays on contemporary perspectives regarding the nature and significance of the sacred in the built environment. Recognized experts in the fields of architecture, urbanism, landscape architecture,... more
This book is a scholarly collection of essays on contemporary perspectives regarding the nature and significance of the sacred in the built environment. Recognized experts in the fields of architecture, urbanism, landscape architecture, and religious studies bring unique perspectives to a range of topics and examples. The book’s primary argument is that even though the post-modern condition has transgressed, degraded or superseded shared belief systems and symbolic languages, the experience, significance and meaning of the built environment retains a certain kind of veracity, potency and latent receptivity. Even though the authors approach the subject from a range of disciplines and theoretical positions, all share interests in the need to rediscover, redefine or reclaim the sacred in everyday experience, scholarly analysis, and design.
Globally new metro rail projects are changing the face of our cities and bringing more commuters to the core of the bustling urban environments and city centre business districts, as well as interconnecting regional cities and associated... more
Globally new metro rail projects are changing the face of our cities and bringing more commuters to the core of the bustling urban environments and city centre business districts, as well as interconnecting regional cities and associated key nodes. The need for improved public transport and railway stations is a result of a current unprecedented growth in urbanization, where it is estimated that more than 66% of the world’s population will live in cities by 2050. Cities and their governance entities invest in more sustainable public transport systems to aid the reduction in greenhouse gas emissions, aid economic efficiencies in goods and people movements in and out and across and within the cities, provide better forms of transport, as well as in assisting in creating better sustainable and healthy urban environments aligned to policy and Earth Summit international agreement obligations This paper explores the opportunities that new and existing railway stations and their associated infrastructure can provide in creating better sustainable and healthy urban environments, through the lens of Biophilic Design. Kellert and Wilson (1993) defined biophilic design as the deliberate attempt to translate and apply an understanding of the human affinity to connect with natural systems and processes, known as Biophilia, into the design of our built environments. In this instance, this paper explores the application of biophilia to railway stations. Re-imagining the experience of taking the train in a stressful city environment, to the possibilities of nature-inspired commuting journeys where enriched wellbeing can be experienced by spaces (for example) that embrace living green walls with enhanced natural day-lit entrances to station buildings, forecourts embraced with water features, shrubs and trees, the authors aim to realise this vision by applying the principles of biophilic design to a case study project. The paper concludes with recommendations on biophilia inspired railway station designs that can assist in the advancing of the larger vision and agenda of ecologically sustainable and smart cities.
