When was the last time you went out and soaked up some nature? Even in pre-pandemic times, most American adults spent 93% of their time indoors. Now, with social distancing requirements in place, the time we spend at home and inside has only increased. But during this stressful time, our connection to nature is more […]

It’s not just out of boredom. In the midst of the pandemic, many have found themselves gravitating to their kitchens, gardens or knitting needles.  In fact, so many people have started #quarantinebaking that there are reported shortages of essential ingredients like yeast and flour around the U.S.  But given the stress and uncertainty our society […]

As summer fades, you can almost hear the collective sigh of children marching back into the confines of the classroom. Hopefully, their summer vacations included healthy doses of nature. Time outdoors has noted benefits to our mental health. But kids would do well to continue communing with nature when they start hitting the books as […]

Our society’s rapid pace of life and addiction to digital technology have created a stress epidemic in the 21st century. But there may be another major contributing factor: chronic nature deprivation. Our connection to nature has become very tenuous. More than half the world’s population currently lives in cities, a number that is predicted to […]

Ilaria Mazzoleni is an architect, biomimicist, founder of IM Studio Milano/Los Angeles and faculty member at CalArts who lives and works between Italy and California. Prior to joining CalArts, Ilaria was a Design and Applied Studies faculty member at the Southern California Institute of Architecture (SCI-Arc) in Los Angeles for more than 12 years. In […]