I DESIGN
MFA, NCIDQ, WELL-AP, LEED Green Associate, ANFT
I believe we can make the world a better place through design and I have a great passion for spaces that support the whole person.
My undergraduate degree started in Architecture, swapped to Anthropology, and eventually became a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Interior Design. I have never stopped seeing the connection between human behavior, culture, and the spaces we exist in. That curiosity brought me back to graduate school. This website is the culmination of my Master's of Fine Arts degree at the University of Wisconsin - Madison. My written thesis informed the Goals and Strategies on this site. Although a typical approach to an MFA in the interiors world would be to create a designed space, I wanted to create a tool that could help educate others on what I had learned. Having been a working commercial interior designer for 8 years prior to the start of my graduate program, I know that designers rarely have time to gather research. So I spent the good part of 3 years gathering research and creating this site for you!
Check out my portfolio website and resume HERE.
I TRAVEL
Camping in Canada was my first trip out of the United States, so perhaps it's cheating because it combines my love of travel and nature. I really, really, really, love traveling. Anywhere. I have grown into the person I am by being exposed to so many various cultures, belief systems, architecture and food (but that's a different blog). If you're curious, here is my list: Austria, Belgium, Cambodia, Canada, Cayman Islands, Czech Republic, England, France, Germany, Hungary, India, Ireland, Italy, Jamaica, Mexico, Scotland, Slovakia, Spain, Switzerland, Thailand, Vietnam.
For this website, I was looking for the name of a building in my scrap book from my trip to India in 2004. I came across pictures and notes of when we visited a secluded pottery village. We were welcomed by strangers who had never seen westerners, and brought into their homes for food and music. These people had so very little. They let us sit on their chairs, a sign of honor. They shared with us their food, of which they had very little. I made a note in my journal that day: "Today I believe that mankind is ultimately good." I often think back on that visit and how my whole world view shifted at that moment. I still believe it to be true.
And that is why I travel.
I grew up living in the woods in southeastern Wisconsin, camping on weekends and taking big camping trips during the summer to see the country. And I never stopped camping and backpacking! I find solace in the outdoors, I feel "reset" so to speak. I have hiked in some great state and national parks and am always in awe of the synchronicity of our natural surroundings.
Hence the travel and the outdoors. My love of photography started with a cheap point and shoot in India which brought me to my Nikon DSLR. I have been trying to capture the essence of my travel and outdoor trips for years, just for the love of it. There is something so special about taking the time to stop and really appreciate something you are seeing. The photography eye lets you into this magical world that allows you to find beauty at every turn if you are open to it.
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Nearly all of the photographs on the website come from my personal collection. For the last 12 years I have been collecting photographs from just shy of 25 countries and throughout much of the United States. Before I knew terms like, "biophilia" or "wholeness", I found myself photographing spaces that had the very qualities I would later come to research. The examples on this site are in no way exhaustive, but what you will find here is a satisfying sampling that will help you understand the Goals of biophilic design and the design Patterns used to attain them.
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For my photography, follow me on Instagram @inspiredworldphotography - check out the feed below.
I CONNECTING
I love meeting new people. I love having deep discussions about the way the world works. I want to hear your thoughts! Do you practice biophilic design? Do you want to? Great, let's chat! Do you know of any spaces you think would be a great addition to this site? Wonderful! This site is a moving, breathing, growing place and I am always on the search for great examples!
