Steve Kellert (1943-2016) was a mentor and inspiration to us and early champion of Tamarack. Steve's work at Yale F&ES was transdisciplinary and his legacy is the concept of biophilia, our evolved affinity for the natural world, which he applied to education, ethics, and eventually design. Biophilic Design, as developed through Steve's writing and leadership, articulated what many architects and planners had long felt - good design involves exploring the relationship between inside and outside and connecting people with nature and place.

We collaborated with Steve to communicate his ideas visually through Biophilic Design: The Architecture of Life. The documentary takes viewers on a journey from our evolutionary past and the origins of architecture to the world’s most celebrated buildings in a search for the architecture of life. Examples of this new form of design include hospitals where patients heal faster, schools where children’s test scores are higher, offices where workers are more productive, and communities where people know more of their neighbors and families thrive. 

The documentary has been presented in film festivals around the world, including:

• GreenBuild Film Festival (Toronto, Canada)
• Architecture and Design Film Festival (New York, Chicago)
• Environmental Film Festival in the Nation's Capital (Washington, DC)
• Environmental Film Festival Melbourne (Australia)
• Seattle Design Festival
• Kuala Lumpur Eco Film Fest (Malaysia)
• American Conservation Film Festival (Shepherdstown, WV)
• DR Environmental Film Festival (Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic)
• Sustainable Living Film Festival (Istanbul, Turkey)
• Projecting Change Film Festival (Vancouver, Canada)
• Resene Architecture and Design Film Festival (Auckland, New Zealand)
• Transitions Film Festival (Adelaide, Australia)
• Rooftop Architecture Film Festival (Austin)
• And many more!

We partnered with Bullfrog Films to distribute the documentary for educational and professional audiences as well community screenings. The video is also available to buy or rent on Vimeo on Demand.