From sustainability to health

The global trend for more sustainable building development is naturally shifting to a focus on health and wellness.

After material wealth, people naturally shift their focus to health and longevity 

It was unimaginable 20 years ago that France would ever have an indoor smoking ban. People everywhere are demanding clean air, healthy foods, and living in places that promote activity.
A healthy built environment -- physically, mentally and emotionally -- is a natural evolution of the global movement for more sustainable building development.

People want transportation choices

As economies evolve from walking, to cycling, to scooters, to cars, people become more sedentary, spend more time waiting in traffic, and cities become more polluted and uncomfortable for walking. People enjoy active forms of transportation -- walking, cycling -- and prefer living in places that have different options for getting around.

Buildings are mostly designed for now, and don’t anticipate change

Disruption is all around us -- technology, climate, aging -- and buildings can be designed to anticipate change. How a building is layered, where structural elements are placed, and how the building is connected to surrounding areas are all important factors in ensuring the building can gracefully withstand land use, tenant, technological and cultural shifts.

Places tell great stories

People are attracted to places with a unique proposition, and this can’t be faked. Globalisation and advances in communication have made the world a smaller, more connected place, but people are still choosing to group into cities with a soul. Just as a font and colour palette are part of a brand’s visual identity, every building and space in between are the canvas of a city. Replicating and duplicating doesn’t work, but cross-pollination and local translation do.

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