Sargasso Cloud, by Philip Beesley, is a room-sized sculptural environment produced by students during a two-week summer workshop in Denmark. Photo: Terri Peters

Timed to coincide with the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen this month, the exhibition Climate and Architecture aims to relate architecture and sustainability to the larger context of climate. This is a daunting task, and, fortunately, the exhibition takes a uniquely personal approach. Rather than presenting alarming statistics or a selection of green projects, it invites visitors inside to see, hear, and feel climate variations for themselves. The show asks, “Does architecture have the power to make you feel different? How does a building’s interior ‘climate’ relate to our own bodies and to the world around us?” Read more…

Located an hour by bus from Poitiers, France, the Boisbuchet summer workshops are among the design world’s best kept secrets. On this sprawling 15th-century country estate, far from the distractions of the studio or the office, designers can recharge their creative energies by learning about aspects of the field that they wouldn’t normally get a chance to explore. Aside from the more conventional short courses in lighting, graphic design, furniture, and architecture, students can experiment with porcelain, glassblowing, jewelry-making—and even chocolate. Read more…