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We rethink acoustic design as we explore everything from vibro-acoustic nightclubs and generative music to ancient Egyptian sound chambers. Sound is more than what we hear in our ears, it’s what we feel with our entire body. Instead of something to absorb with dense panels and soft furnishings, what if we embraced sound as a design tool that could create better human experiences for everyone? We talk to Gen Cleary, a Wellness Entertainment Sound Producer for some of the world’s most notable nightclubs and Founder of the HUM, an exhibition launched at this year’s SXSW that joined music and vibro-acoustic therapy for an immersive healing experience. We also talk to Jon Otis, Founder of the Object Agency and Professor at Pratt, who’s research and personal passion on the relationship between space and sound offers new ways of experimenting and implementing alternative sound ideas in the built environment.

Read the blog, Listen with Your Skin - Designing Spaces for Holistic Experiences.

Further Reading:

The Sound of Space and the Space of Sound
Let's Make Some Noise

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Instead of debating whether commute reimbursements or paid lunches will get people back into the offices, we decided to explore a more alternative solution. Belonging is one the most desired outcomes in the workplace today, even more than productivity! We believe the power to motivate employees and support well-being could lie in the five senses and how they could be leveraged to create places to belong. Our Ignite Your Senses event we recently held in Atlanta featured a Panel Discussion with Chef Freddy Money of Atlas and the Garden Room, Clint Zeagler, Wearable Tech Researcher at Georgia Tech, Ari Peralta, Sensory Designer and Neuroscientist, and Tara Headley, Interior Designer at IA and IIDA Georgia Chapter President. Tune in to hear their ideas on how to design for the "sense" of belonging.

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Join us as we discuss alternative solutions for victims of climate change. In this episode of the Alternative Design podcast, we're talking about the world's forgotten victims, also known as climate refugees. There will be a massive amount of people who will be forced to move their home, their family, and their community to a safer location due to climate change. Some of them will have the choice. Others won't. But what we need are alternative design solutions like floating cities and paper partition shelters that will offer them a place to belong. We're chatting with Pritzker Prize winning architect, Shigeru Ban, Chief Engineer at Oceanix, Matteo Pietrobelli, and Senior Fellow at the Sustainability Innovation Lab at Colorado Boulder, Gunars Platais.

The story of Ioane Teiotia was told based on the facts presented by these news sources.
Foreign Policy
BBC World News
BBC World News
BBC World News

For more information on Oceanix, check out this link.
To Donate to Shigeru Ban, check out this link at the bottom of the page.

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We know that '80s throwbacks are having a moment right now, and so in the spirit of the retro trend we decided to make you a mix tape. It's essentially our greatest hits album of our most alternative, boundary breaking design ideas that we explored in season 1. But what about the awesome jams? I mean, it is a mixtape after all! Don't worry, the highlight reel is set to our brand new Alternative Design music album. So you'll get the very best of all things podcast and all things music! We hope you love it.


Check out the Alternative Design music album.

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What if we are missing a transformational opportunity to rethink the experience of space by only “checking the boxes” on accessibility standards? We take a deep dive into the etymology of “normal” and discuss how this term has propped up power structures that have continued to limit how marginalized bodies experience space. Tune in as we discuss how the built environment can go “beyond access” to embrace equity and support differences. Our guests are AJ Paron, SANDOW Design Group Executive President and Design Futurist; Joshua A. Halstead, Art Center College of Design and Designmatters Teacher and Design Activist; Matt May, Head of Inclusive Design for Adobe.

Buy Joshua's book.

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What if the answer to reclaiming our atmosphere lies in using more concrete? What if concrete could mineralize billions of tons of carbon and store it permanently in the built environment? In this episode we're featuring the COO of the Foundation for Climate Restoration and eco-anxiety expert, Dr. Erica Dodds. We also speak to the CEO of Blue Planet Systems, Dr. Brent Constantz, and Director of Mineralized CO2 Commercialization, Dougal Heap.

Further Reading:
Check out the Alternative Design blog.
https://foundationforclimaterestoration.org/
https://www.blueplanetsystems.com/
https://www.carbonstar.org/

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What if personalized color therapy experiences could influence our body, mind, and emotions in a profound way? As designers, we prescribe colors in the built environment to promote positive human outcomes. We know humans are deeply sensitive to the energy of color, but what you may not know is that your unique perception of color is dictated by much more than your eyes. A promising solution to creating personal experiences in a shared space is the Metaverse, and we are going to explore what lies at the intersection of color, humans, and technology. Our guest is Ari Peralta, Founding Partner at Arigami, an internationally recognized playground dedicated to sensory transformation, and Partner at Mycoocoon, a leading color therapy software company. Together, we underscore the need for emotional balance tools in every space, both digital and physical, and how color could be used as a catalyst for personal transformation.

Further Reading:

Check out the Alternative Design blog.

https://www.mycoocoon.com/colormoodreport
https://www.mycoocoon.com/

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We explore an architectural experiment in the middle of the Nevada desert known as Black Rock City. Every summer, Burning Man Project hosts a temporary city that draws thousands of people to celebrate the ceremonial burning of a human effigy known as “the Man”. Attendees are invited to test their limits, embrace a spirit of gifting, and radically express themselves in Black Rock City for nine days. Many designers and urban planners see the city as a potential blueprint for local communities as it boasts an iterative design process that could address some of the greatest challenges of our time. We talk to Burning Man's Associate Director of Community Events, Steven Raspa, and City Planning and Placement Manager, Bryant Tan to explore what Burning Man has to offer the design community concerning innovation, radical participation, and risk taking.

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To check out the 10 Principles of Burning Man look at: https://burningman.org/about/10-principles/

To explore the design entries for Fly Ranch check out:
http://landartgenerator.org/competition2020.html
 

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We explore a preventative, a restorative, and a deconstructive alternative in the current design and construction of carceral facilities. In the workplace strategy world, we often design for the “power of choice”. Employees can choose how, when, and where they work in order to support productivity and wellness. But, is it only employees who deserve the “power of choice”? Who should have the right to choose? The answer may surprise you! We discuss if providing choices to inmates could positively impact behavior and usher in a more restorative justice model. Our guests include a Sheriff, professor, student, and a former inmate – each of which bring a very unique perspective on the subject. Tune in as we roll up our sleeves to discuss the power of design to bring justice and equity for all.

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Interview with Sheriff Hall
Vox video on Halden Prison

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Join us as we explore alternative solutions for short-term and long-term mental healthcare. As our U.S. Olympian, Simone Biles, reminded us during the 2020 Tokyo Olympic games, we must prioritize the fitness of our minds and our emotions. Much like the "spikes" in viral cases during the pandemic, we are now encountering a "spike" of those who are struggling with mental illness and require treatment. The numbers are staggering, and some predict a wave of patients that our already taxed healthcare system will struggle to accommodate.

What we need is an alternative solution that rethinks what short-term and long-term treatment could look like. We also need a solution that breaks down stigmas traditionally associated with this type of care. In this episode we chat with University of Toronto students Bronte Morris-Poolman and Damian Kercz about how their senior thesis project, Art x Pop-Up could be the exact solution we need. Their idea is to design "crisis stabilization units" that are strategically placed in communities to provide critical mental health services. We also speak to Stacey Root and Stephanie Vito from Cannon Design on how to design for mental health spaces, the history of mental health stigma, and the future of "Wellness Campuses" that combine care and amenities for a more equitable experience for all.

Further Reading:

Check out the Alternative Design blog.

https://ankura.com/insights/whats-driving-the-trend-toward-healthcare-villages/
https://www.fastcompany.com/90638988/why-mental-health-awareness-is-here-to-stay
https://www.nytimes.com/2021/01/05/business/mental-health-facilities-design.html
https://www.metropolismag.com/architecture/healthcare-architecture/behavioral-healthcare-cannon-design/
https://designgroup.us.com/expertise/unveiling-new-hybrid-model-healthcare-architecture
http://www.koozarch.com/interviews/art-covid-19-test-centre/