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Doctors' Notes: Buildings

March 24, 2026 • 32m

Summary

⏱️ 9 min read

Overview

In this Doctor's Notes bonus episode, architects Lisa Finlay joins hosts Dr. Chris and Dr. Zand Van Tulleken for an extended conversation about architecture, public health, and urban design. They explore how buildings impact human wellbeing, the importance of visual complexity and texture in architecture, sustainable building materials like stone, and the need to preserve and repurpose existing structures. The discussion reveals fascinating connections between architectural design and human health, emphasizing how buildings can either enhance or diminish our quality of life through their design, materials, and integration into communities.

The Thousand Trees Project: Rethinking Urban Development

Lisa Finlay describes her innovative Shanghai project called 'Thousand Trees,' which breaks from conventional podium-and-tower development. Instead of creating monotonous residential towers, the design features two mountain-like peaks composed of smaller-scale volumes with nearly a thousand terraces and over a thousand trees. This approach demonstrates how architects can create large-scale developments that feel human-scale and engaging, offering outdoor spaces and a distinctive silhouette that stands out from typical urban skylines.

  • The project deliberately avoided the standard podium-and-tower design common in dense residential areas
  • The building forms two mountain-like peaks rather than vertical pencil towers, creating a unique skyline silhouette
  • The design incorporates nearly a thousand terraces and over a thousand trees across smaller-scale, human-proportioned volumes
" We wanted to do something that was just completely different to that, that felt like a relief from the monotony of all these tall residential towers. "

Buildings as Long-Term Investments in Human Experience

The conversation explores the unique responsibility architects have to think about posterity and long-term value. Lisa argues that persuading clients to invest in more thoughtful design isn't just about immediate costs but about creating buildings people will want to preserve for generations. She emphasizes that buildings which demonstrate care and detail connect with us on a human level, explaining why we're drawn to historic structures and why modern buildings should aspire to the same longevity.

  • Very few professions require thinking about work that could last for millennia, making architecture uniquely future-focused
  • Buildings that people truly love and value are less likely to be demolished, representing better long-term investment
  • The level of care and detail visible in older buildings creates human connection that transcends time
" There are very few jobs where you have to think about posterity. There are very few jobs where you kind of go this is going to echo through the millennia potentially. "
" I think the responsibility is both to the client and what they want to do, but it's also to society because they're going to walk past it every day. "

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