Skip to Main Content
Advertisement
Advertisement

A new title from Gestalten profiles global design embracing a green thumb

In an age where technology, work and play are increasingly enmeshed, it’s natural to crave an escape to the wilderness. But what if its simplicity and solace could be achieved as a part of our everyday life? For the design admirers and enthusiasts bogged down by a disintegrating work-life balance, The House of Green is for you. 

The House of Green, green thumb
The House of Green, green thumb

The front over of the hard-cover, full colour book features imagery of Studio Bright’s residential project in Cremorne, Australia. Photography by Rory Gardiner, image courtesy of Gestalten.

Intersecting contemporary living and nature, The House of Green – Natural Homes and Biophilic Architecture, features a dynamic collection of remarkable architecture and interiors from around the globe, including homes, workspaces, and more, all with a heavy influence of nature and biophilic design.

Sustainable Design

Page 218. Jaime Navarro captures Casa TO in Puerto Escondido, Mexico, image courtesy of Gestalten.

Designlines book reviews, House of Green

Page 134-135. The Greenary in Italy by Carlo Ratti Associati & Italo Rota. Photography by Alessandro Saletta of DSL Studio, image courtesy of Gestalten.

Futuristic brutalism, House of Green

Page 80. Private spa in Mexico by Soler Orozco Arquitectos and JSA. Photography by Jaime Navarro, image courtesy of Gestalten.

From chef-approved urban farms in Copenhagen to a Japanese guest house with a series of intertwining outdoor walkways, House of Green’s 256 pages are full to the brim with verdant inspiration presented by way of a shrewd introduction from Italian architect Carlo Ratti. $84.95.

Advertisement
Advertisement

Okay, but it clearly is

For the first 16 years of my life, the bat cave at the Royal Ontario Museum (ROM)—a reconstruction of an actual cave in Jamaica—was among my favourite places in the city. The cave was decorated with cast stalactites and wax bat models, which hung from the ceiling and threw jagged shadows on the walls. A few other features imbued it with spooky verisimilitude: the drip-drip-drip sound effects, the mirrors arranged to create the illusion of infinite depth, the strobe lights strategically placed to make the shadows flutter. When I visited as a five-year-old, the bat cave scared me. When I visited as a stoned fifteen-year-old, it scared me even more. Then came the renovation.

Advertisement

Newsletter

Your Weekly Dose of Modern Design

Sign up for the Designlines weekly newsletter to keep up with the latest design news, trends and inspiring projects from across Toronto. Join our community and never miss a beat!

Please fill out your email address.

The Magazine

Get the Latest Issue

From a sprawling family home in Oakville to a coastal-inspired retreat north of the city, we present spaces created by architects and interior designers that redefine the contemporary.

Designlines 2024 Issue