tangents ‘26 | May
This month’s Tangents theme focuses on Bloom: all about the idea of growth, emergence, and transformation. This applies not just in design but in our collective understanding of how nature influences our regeneration and our own personal growth. Bloom can be defined and understood both literally and metaphorically. It can discuss the flourishing of landscapes and ecological systems, but more importantly for our office, bloom can also be about the way architecture and urban spaces can foster creativity, connection, and human experience. We’ve long-preached that thoughtful design has the ability to revitalize communities, bring new life to existing environments, and can create spaces that evolve alongside the people who inhabit them. This is the core definition for sustainability for DBRDS. Understanding this can help us create places that feel vibrant, alive, and responsive. Design becomes not only functional, but a catalyst for renewal.
Craig kicked us off with two animated shorts. The first features the work of San Francisco-based artist, Mona Caron, and her animated murals telling the story of resilient weeds in urban settings. The second animated short is from Los Angeles-based graphic artist and animator Margaret To telling the dawn-to-dusk story of a forest.
Haneen then introduced us to the concept of Ikebana, the traditional Japanese art of flower arrangement; a practice that goes beyond the final arrangement to offer a profound experience. Her second presentation was all about the benefits of trees and other landscape features designed into our buildings and urban fabric.
