While technology rapidly advances — people, by contrast, remain constant.

Creatures of habit, we need others to survive. We are the sum of our skin, our organs and body parts. Our minds distinguish us, and our intelligence is key to survival but it's our ability to work together that tells the true story of our potential.

The team behind the Herston Biofabrication Institute in Brisbane, Australia knew this, and deliberately removed the physical and mental limits in their way. Given the right space, resources and design they've seen a patient able to talk for the first time in 30 years; a specialist design-print-test-iterate a medical solution in days rather than months — and problems solved “beautifully [and] organically” in minutes.

In this episode of Hassell Talks, Mathilde Desselle General Manager of the Herston Biofabrication Institute, tells Carolyn Solley of how the transparency and malleability of the building’s interior design has smoothed interactions and increased healing and recovery enabling both patients and the Institute’s multi-disciplinary workforce to thrive.

Hassell acknowledges the Jagera and Turrbal people as the original custodians, designers, and placemakers of the land we recorded this episode on. We pay our respect to the traditional owners, their elders and knowledge holders past, present, and emerging. Their knowledge has and will ensure the continuation of cultures and traditional practises.

• This episode was produced by Prue Vincent and Michelle Bailey