Join the Danish Architecture Center as we chat with some of the world’s leading architects, designers, planners, and engineers about their work and ideas. Let’s...
Catastrophic floods in recent years have highlighted the urgent water-related impacts of climate change, pushing it to the top of the global agenda. While much attention has been paid to rising temperatures, flooding poses an immediate and critical threat to millions worldwide. So, how do we design urban spaces to handle increasing volumes of water? Can we learn to work with nature rather than against it, and even enhance urban life in the process? In this episode of Let’s Talk Architecture, host Michael Booth meets Rikke Juul Gram, creative director and partner at the Danish landscape architecture firm Schønherr. Together, they visit Schønherr’s recent project in Copenhagen, Karens Minde Aksen - a space designed not only to manage floodwaters but also to serve as a beautiful, functional community area. Rikke shares her insights into why embracing water could be the key to building resilient, sustainable cities. Let’s Talk Architecture is a podcast by Danish Architecture Center, with sound edits by Munck Studios.
--------
30:58
What's it like to live in a high-rise?
Mette Mechlenborg, senior researcher at Aalborg University, is the co-author of a new study on life in Danish high-rise residential buildings—the first of its kind in over fifty years. This long gap is partly due to Denmark's historical reluctance to embrace high-rise living, especially for families. However, the landscape is shifting, with several tall towers now rising near Copenhagen's city center and more on the way. So, what has changed since the last study? In this episode of Let’s Talk Architecture, host Michael Booth meets Mette at Nordbro in Nørrebro, one of the buildings featured in her research. Together, they explore the qualities of high-rise living and ask the question: Can Danish families truly live happy and fulfilling lives 100 metres above the ground? Let's Talk Architecture is a podcast by the Danish Architecture Center.
--------
33:16
Why cultural heritage is more than good architecture
How do we decide which buildings are worth preserving? And will the climate crisis reshape our answer to this question? In this episode of Let's Talk Architecture, host Michael Booth joins Kristoffer Lindhardt Weiss, CEO of The Danish Architectural Press, for an architectural tour of Copenhagen - from the iconic yet controversial Palads Cinema to Arne Jacobsen’s Modernist SAS Royal Hotel. Together they explore the landscape of architectural preservation, and ask: Could sustainable preservation become the future of urban development? Let's Talk Architecture is a podcast by the Danish Architecture Center with sound edits by Munck Studios.
--------
31:57
How architecture can improve life quality of hospitalized children
How can architecture transform the experience of healthcare for children? Can design elements like colors, materials, shapes, and daylight even help improve the young patients’ lives? Denmark is about to get its first purpose-built children’s hospital, Børneriget, which is scheduled to open in 2026 in central Copenhagen. Børneriget aims to redefine pediatric healthcare with its unique "finger plan" layout, focusing on creating a welcoming and safe environment through thoughtful design. But how can these elements enhance patient well-being and improve the hospital experience? In this episode of Let's Talk Architecture, host Michael Booth explores the design of Børneriget with lead architect, Stig Gothelf, senior partner at 3XN, and My Lunsjö, Associate and Behavioral Specialist at sister company GXN. Together they dive into the research behind their design choices, discussing how aspects like color schemes and views of nature are intended to reduce stress and support healing. Let's Talk Architecture is a podcast by the Danish Architecture Center, with sound edits by Munck Studios.
--------
33:53
How to make good business within the planetary boundaries
How can you create more sustainable, affordable, and inclusive housing if you also happen to live in a capitalist society? And can you even exploit the capitalist system to create a better world? Home.Earth might have an answer. As a new and rather radical real estate company, Home.Earth is doing things differently: The company not only builds low-emission, high-quality housing – they also take care of finding tenants, manage the properties afterwards and give tenants a share of their profit. The aim of taking care of the building throughout its entire lifespan, rather than developing for a quick return of investments, is to create business cases, where the planetary agenda is aligned with the financial agenda. But what does it take to make good business within the planetary boundaries? In this episode, Michael Booth visits Home.earth’s head office in Amager to meet its co-founder Rasmus Juul-Nyholm and to hear about Home.Earth’s environmentally and economically sustainable case. Let's Talk Architecture is a podcast by Danish Architecture Center, with sound edits by Munck Studios.
Join the Danish Architecture Center as we chat with some of the world’s leading architects, designers, planners, and engineers about their work and ideas. Let’s Talk Architecture introduces you to the creative and innovative minds behind the future of our buildings and cities. Let’s Talk Architecture introduces you to the creative and innovative minds behind the future of our buildings and cities. Get to know the creative and innovative minds that shapes Danish architecture.
Author and journalist, Michael Booth, is not an architect, but he is curious about cities, and how they are built. In this podcast he ventures out into the city with architects, planners, and urban developers, while he asks them about the agendas, that shapes their projects and our built environment. They talk about everything from the aesthetics of the climate change, modernist masterpieces, extensive retail planning, rethinking of materials, sensuous architecture, transformation of existing buildings, the shaping of new architects, and much much more.
Generous funding is provided by Realdania and the Danish Industry Foundation. Learn more at dac.dk/en/podcast
Colombia