Events

Milan, Italy — April 2026 — As Milan Design Week transforms the city into a global hub of creativity and innovation, the Journal of Biophilic Design will make its debut appearance at Fuorisalone with a clear objective: to bridge the gap between design ideas and real-world application.

Hosted within a curated exhibition space developed in collaboration with ANAB and Terra Migaki Design, the Journal’s presence will spotlight practical, implementable approaches to biophilic design. The installation will take place at Pollice Illuminazione, a long-established destination for lighting design in Milan.

Amid a week known for conceptual exploration, this collaboration focuses on tangible solutions — showcasing bio-based materials, circular design thinking, and lighting strategies that can be specified, sourced, and delivered within today’s built environment.

Panel Event: Biophilic Design in Workplaces
📅 22 April 2026
🕕 18:00
📍 Pollice Illuminazione, Via Guido D’Arezzo 11, Milan

The Journal will host a panel discussion examining the role of biophilic design in shaping healthier, more resilient workplaces. Speakers include:

Odile Smith - Sourcing & Commercial Director, Journal of Biophilic Design

Lucilla Malara - Malara Associates

Donatella Mangera - Enviromental Psychologist

Maria Elisabetta Tonali - MateriaVera

Martina Frattura- Beauty-informed Lighting designer

The session will address how natural materials, environmental psychology, and lighting design intersect to influence wellbeing and performance in workplace environments — and, crucially, what it takes to translate these ideas into deliverable projects.

Media Opportunities
Members of the press attending Milan Design Week are invited to visit the exhibition space and attend the panel. Interview opportunities are available in Milan with the European Journal of Biophilic Design Director Odile Smith, alongside the panel speakers and contributing experts behind the installation.

Speaker bios

LUCILLA MALARA & DONATELLA MONGERA - MALARI ASSOCIATI Malara Associati is a Milan-based architecture and interior design studio composed of architects, biophilic designers, and environmental psychology consultants. We adopt an interdisciplinary, human & organisation-centred approach that prioritises well-being and fosters harmony between natural elements and the built environment, developing tailored and inclusive solutions throughout the Design for All principles framework. Lucilla Malara (CEO, architect, biophilic designer and architecture psychology consultant) and Donatella Mongera (HR and environmental psychology consultant) co-authored the book Spazio al Benessere, which explores how environmental psychology, biophilic and restorative design can transform workplaces and enhance individual and organisational well-being, improving health, satisfaction and productivity.

ELISABETTA TONALI - MATERIA VERA An architect with a background in landscape design, she has been working in sustainability in architecture and design for over 25 years. An expert in innovative eco-compatible materials, she founded Materiavera in Milan in 2004, a materials library dedicated to sustainable and innovative solutions for architecture and design. Within Materiavera, she coordinates the company’s activities and oversees material selection, offering sustainable solutions to manufacturers and consultancy to architects and design professionals. Her architectural practice is rooted in over twenty years of experience in biophilic design, with projects ranging from green architecture and landscape design to restoration and interior design.

MARTINA FRATTURA Martina is a PhD student at UniBo's Department of Architecture, investigating how architecture can inform neuroscience towards a more conscious user. Class 2020 of the 40 under 40 lighting designers, Martina has a special interest in the non-visual effects of lighting, and works with the goal of implementing psychological and biological responses to architectural planning. Her research ‘A Beautiful Light’ investigated the possibility of reaching a state of soft fascination indoor. She started "The Beauty Movement", a think tank to inform and research the power and importance of aesthetic experiences. Martina works as well as a freelance lighting designer.

Now in its fourth year, the SDC Forum has become a permanent fixture. Curated by SDC for the design community, the Forum provides a unique opportunity for networking, knowledge sharing and purposeful conversations about our industry’s efforts towards greater sustainability to nurture both ‘people and planet’.

Every year, we create a dynamic agenda of presentations, interactive workshops and panel discussions. This year, we are introducing ‘tours’ for designers to meet the suppliers and manufacturers as well as well the highly successful, ‘speed dating’ format where everyone can join the ‘quick fire’ debates and then move on to the next discussion. https://thesustainabledesigncollective.co.uk/forum/

28 April - 13.45pm Designing Workplaces for People, Planet and Profit, Social Enterprise Village

For decades, workplace design has focused on productivity and efficiency. But as organisations rethink the future of work, a new question is emerging, what if the workplace could help heal the world around it? This panel explores how biophilic design and nature-led thinking are transforming the way we design work environments, creating spaces that support wellbeing, reconnect people with nature, and contribute positively to the planet and the communities around them.

Speakers

Paula Gibson, Communications Manager - Waste To Wonder Worldwide

Kali Hamerton-Stove, Founder and Director - The Glasshouse

Vanessa Champion, Editor and Publisher - Journal of Biophilic Design

https://www.theworkplaceevent.com/esg-hub

12 May 2026 13:15 - 14:00. Roadmap to Resilience with Biophilic Design - curated by the Journal of Biophilic Design Placemaking Stage

Cities and communities are facing growing climate, nature and social pressures, biophilic design offers a roadmap to resilience. This panel brings together leading experts to explore practical strategies, governance, and placemaking approaches that embed nature at the heart of urban life.

Chair- Vanessa Champion, Founder / Editor - Journal of Biophilic Design

Speakers -

Joanna Yarrow, Chief Impact Officer - Human Nature

Luke Engleback, Founder - Studio Engleback

Kirsty Wilman, COO - Rebalance Earth

14 May 2026 12:30 - 13:15 Masterclass for Biophilia in Placemaking - curated by the Journal of Biophilic Design Placemaking Stage

Integrating nature into both internal and external places is a vital benefit of taking a biophilic approach to design and decision making. This masterclass outlines the principles and demonstrates the impacts of delivering a biophilic design approach in practice with an invitation to the audience to engage with questions and reflections of their own.

The Principles of Biophilia- Oliver Heath, Director, Oliver Heath Design

How to deliver biophilia in practice - Bill Browning, Founding Partner, Terrapin

Chair - Vanessa Champion, Founder / Editor - Journal of Biophilic Design

Speakers -

Oliver Heath, Founder & Director - Oliver Heath Design

William Browning, Partner - Terrapin Bright Green

Inspired by the new ‘Connect’ theme, FUTUREBUILD this year is all about turning sustainability ambition into real-world action. Join thousands of specifiers, decision-makers and innovators to explore the ideas, partnerships and products shaping a resilient, regenerative future.
Experience the future of the built environment
·      Connect to collaborate: Network with a community driving change from the new Zero Waste Area to the Local Authority Collaboration Hub.
·      Connect with innovation: Discover innovations from 400+ pioneering brands and unmissable features like the Innovation Trail, Big Innovation Pich and the Big Retrofit Challenge.
·      Connect with leaders: Access 133 hours of CPD content curated by 90+ industry partners and associationsand delivered by 550+ industry experts
·      Connect with topical issues: Gain insights on resilience, reuse and regenerative design on the Futurebuild Arena, National Retrofit Conference and six seminar stages, over 3 days. .BOOK YOUR TICKETS HERE

Clerkenwell Design Week

When: Weds 20 May - 11- 11.30am Rooted in Nature: Exploring the Material Language of Biophilic Design

Where: Camira Fabrics, 8 & 10 Brewhouse Yard, London EC1V 4DG

Vanessa will explore how biophilic design is more than greenery, it is a guiding framework for material specification in human-centred interiors. This talk will introduce its origins, sensory principles, and relevance in today’s built environments, alongside sustainability and regenerative design.

It highlights natural fibres, tactility, and material provenance as tools to strengthen our connection to nature, as well as our emotional and physiological experiences. Attendees will gain a fresh perspective on specifying materials, leaving with four practical, biophilic principles to create healthier, more conscious spaces that enhance wellbeing and foster meaningful connections to nature.

Book your tickets and pick up your FREE Rooted in Nature Guide.

Book tickets here: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/rooted-in-nature-exploring-the-material-language-of-biophilic-design-tickets-1986437841056?aff=oddtdtcreator&keep_tld=true

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Thursday 21 May 4-5pm -The Sensory Office: Designing for the 100%

Where: Umbrella, 9 Brewhouse Yard, Clerkenwell, London, EC1V 4JR

This panel explores how designing for neurodivergent diversity can redefine the workplace for everyone. Moving beyond the notion of the ‘average’ user, the discussion will examine how balancing high-energy collaboration spaces with low-stimulus sanctuaries, integrating tactile materials and acoustic control, and embedding user choice into lighting and environments can enhance focus, well-being, and retention.
From the role of natural elements in regulating the nervous system to making the business case for neuro-inclusive design, the conversation positions inclusivity not as a niche concern, but as essential infrastructure shaping the future of work.

Vanessa Champion, Editor - Journal of Biophilic Design

Henrietta Valler-Still, Ambitious about Autism

Luke Walker, Gensler

https://www.umbrellafurniture.com

Thursday, 21 May, 13:00 - Webinar: Nature by Design: Integrating Biophilia into Healing Spaces - Online FREE

This session will examine the emerging evidence base around biophilic design and its influence on recovery, cognition, and workplace wellbeing in healthcare environments. It is expected to explore how connections to nature—through materiality, light, pattern, and spatial composition—can support physiological and psychological restoration for patients and staff alike. Discussion may also consider the operational and design challenges of embedding biophilia into complex clinical settings.

Speakers:

Adrian Byne is co-Founder of Benholm Group, which he started with my father in 1993. “Over the past 30+ years, I’ve helped grow the business into one of the UK’s leading interior plantscaping companies, working with organisations such as Meta, Heineken, Shell and Barclays. Benholm Group has also been the official plant supplier for major international events including the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games and COP26. Alongside our commercial work, I’ve been closely involved in research into biophilic design, wellbeing and the impact of plants in complex environments. This includes the Reap What You Sow study in collaboration with PLP Labs, the University of Reading and the Sustainability Lead of the UK Parliament, as well as ongoing research with Nottingham Trent University due for publication this year. I regularly speak at industry events, sit on panels, deliver CPDs and contribute to podcasts, sharing practical insight into how nature-based solutions can be responsibly integrated into real-world settings, including healthcare environments.”

Anne Dowling is driven by a deep commitment to improving the experience of patients, staff and families across all healthcare settings. Her motivation is personal and grounded in experience, having spent several years working within the NHS to deliver innovation, service improvement and high-quality patient care. Through this work, Anne saw first-hand how environments influence wellbeing, compassion and recovery. In 2022, Anne co-founded Nature Works for Health with Charlie Waite, the renowned English landscape photographer celebrated for his painterly use of light and shade. Charlie’s work is widely recognised for its spiritual sense of serenity and calm, qualities that sit at the heart of the organisation’s mission to bring the healing power of nature into health and social care environments. Anne is also a keen photographer herself, with a particular interest in how beautiful natural scenes can shape emotional responses, offering comfort, positivity and connection for those who are unwell or unable to access the natural world.

Vanessa Champion is the founder and editor of The Journal of Biophilic Design, an international publishing and broadcasting platform dedicated to advancing evidence-based research into the health, wellbeing and environmental benefits of biophilic and nature-inspired design. The Journal shares global case studies and interdisciplinary evidence showing how connections to nature—through light, materiality, pattern and imagery—support recovery, cognition and wellbeing across healthcare and the built environment, reaching designers, architects, policymakers and health professionals worldwide through print, digital and an international podcast. Originally an academic at UCL with a PhD in Greek and Latin, Ness has worked at the British Museum and in journalism before founding her own media company and consultancy, collaborating with organisations including the BBC, ITV and the NHS. Her focus on biophilic design was shaped by first-hand experience of the healing impact of nature views during hospital recovery, leading her to establish the Journal as a bridge between research and practice. A professional photographer and artist, she also creates evidence-led “Virtual Nature Walls” for healthcare and other care settings, bringing restorative nature connections into spaces where direct access is limited.

Regan Cook- Facilitator

To book tickets visit: https://events.teams.microsoft.com/event/711ad87c-70bf-4526-89b8-1d8f5b35c08f@daebecca-4bbe-4655-b317-ec2ee0c02541

11 June - 12.15-12.45 - Biophilic Design That Works in Care Settings

• What low-cost biophilic changes can be implemented immediately in existing care settings?

• How can natural light, materials and greenery be introduced safely and compliantly in UK settings?

• Which design interventions deliver the biggest wellbeing impact for older residents?

• How can biophilic design reduce agitation, support calm spaces and benefit staff day-to-day?

• Speaker Dr Vanessa Champion, Founder / Editor Journal of Biophilic Design

https://careinnovationsummit.co.uk/programme/

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