Cooling a Warming World - Why Biophilic Design must be part of our Climate Response

Cooling a Warming World - Why Biophilic Design must be part of our Climate Response

As record-breaking temperatures sweep across continents once again, it is becoming increasingly difficult to view extreme heat as an occasional weather event. From Europe and North America to Asia, Africa and Australia, heatwaves are growing more frequent, more intense and more prolonged. The impacts are profound: rising mortality, increased pressure on healthcare systems, declining productivity, infrastructure failure, biodiversity loss and growing social inequality.

Climate change is often discussed in terms of carbon emissions, energy systems and technological innovation. While these are all essential, we must also pay attention to how we design the places where people live, work, learn and heal. The built environment has become one of our greatest vulnerabilities during periods of extreme heat. Yet it also presents one of our greatest opportunities.

This is where Biophilic Design offers an evidence-based framework for action.

READ ON…

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The Journal becomes members of the Green Roof Organisation

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The Journal becomes members of the Green Roof Organisation

We are delighted to announce that The Journal of Biophilic Design is now an Associate Member of the Green Roof Organisation (GRO), the UK trade association championing green roofs, living walls and nature-based roof solutions. GRO brings together experts from across the built environment to advance best practice and promote the vital role that green infrastructure can play in creating healthier, more resilient places for people and nature alike.

Biophilic design is about much more than bringing nature indoors. It recognises the importance of integrating nature throughout the built environment, from streetscapes and public spaces to green roofs, living walls and biodiverse landscapes. By reconnecting people with natural systems, these interventions help foster healthier, more restorative environments while strengthening the ecological performance of our buildings and cities.

When thoughtfully designed and maintained, green roofs deliver a remarkable range of benefits. They can help mitigate and adapt to climate change by reducing urban heat, managing stormwater, improving building performance and creating valuable habitat for wildlife. They also contribute to cleaner air, improved acoustics and enhanced biodiversity, while providing opportunities for human wellbeing through greater access to nature in increasingly urbanised environments. As cities seek solutions to the interconnected challenges of climate change, biodiversity loss and public health, green roofs represent an important component of a truly biophilic future.

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RSPB Announces the return of   ‘Night of Nature’ on August 15, 2026 

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RSPB Announces the return of   ‘Night of Nature’ on August 15, 2026 

RSPB Announces the return of   ‘Night of Nature’ on August 15, 2026 . Following a successful launch last year at London’s Troxy, RSPB is pleased to share details for the 2026 return of their unique Night of Nature event.  

Held at Harrogate’s Royal Hall venue on August 15, the evening’s programme will sync transportive footage from across the UK’s stunning natural habitats and wildlife with live music. Hosted by RSPB Vice President, nature writer and broadcaster Kate Humble, the immersive event will be headlined by vocal group G4, with support from the Blackheath Quartet. 

With a stirring blend of storytelling and visuals, Night of Nature aims to narrow the divide between humans and the nature surrounding us, striving towards a future where people, wildlife and wild places can all thrive alongside each other.  

Nature needs our help now more than ever, as we move ever closer to the government’s legally-binding UN target to protect 30% of UK land and sea for nature by 2030, and with 1 in 6 species currently at risk of extinction from climate and biodiversity crises.  


READ on and Book tickets…


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Energy Secretary Ed Miliband joins Kenyan teenager on shortlist for UK’s leading climate awards

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Energy Secretary Ed Miliband joins Kenyan teenager on shortlist for UK’s leading climate awards

 Energy Secretary Ed Miliband joins Kenyan teenager on shortlist for UK’s leading climate awards. P.E.A. Awards 2026 shortlist announced.

“We are pleased also to announce that Edgardo Rossi has also been shortlisted. The Journal of Biophilic Design is publishing a monograph on Preserved Plants with him. The monograph will be published in the Fall,” said Dr Vanesa Champion, Founder and Editor, Journal of Biophilic Design.

READ ON….

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We are launching in Australia!

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We are launching in Australia!

Journal of Biophilic Design Launches in Australia with Studio Chintamani at Futurebuild Sydney 2026 with their first formal international territory partnership. Sydney, Australia | 11–13 June 2026

Journal of Biophilic Design is officially launching in Australia through an exclusive partnership with Sydney-based Studio Chintamani, with the launch taking place at Futurebuild Sydney from 11–13 June 2026. Founded in the United Kingdom by Dr Vanessa Champion, the Journal of Biophilic Design has become a leading global voice exploring the relationship between nature, people and the built environment. The expansion into Australia marks a significant milestone in the Journal’s international growth and reflects the increasing global demand for healthier, more nature-connected approaches to architecture, interiors, urbanism and placemaking.

The Australian launch builds on the Journal’s steady and growing presence across Europe and internationally, alongside a rapidly expanding global audience through its podcast, which now reaches more than 40,000 monthly listeners worldwide. The Journal has also developed media partnerships with major international trade shows and design events and was recently shortlisted for a BSME Award for its Art Team, recognising the strength and quality of its editorial and visual storytelling.

As the platform continues to grow, the Journal of Biophilic Design is expanding its international network across research, publishing, marketing, commercial partnerships and business development, helping connect academia, industry and practice through a shared focus on nature-positive design.

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Mind Body Space Global Symposium

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Mind Body Space Global Symposium

𝗔𝗿𝗰𝗵𝗶𝘁𝗲𝗰𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝗶𝘀 𝗻𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝗻𝗲𝘂𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗹 - Every rhythm of light, texture, and form leaves a deep impression on body and mind. Spaces can nourish us or disturb us, create a sense of connection or enforce separation.

When a place resonates, we feel it in our bodies: in the warmth of natural materials, the power of harmonious proportions, the deep calm of beautiful views. Thanks to emerging scientific disciplines such as environmental psychology and neuroaesthetics, we now better understand how spaces influence our perception, emotions, and behaviour, deep into the subconscious.

Join our friends at Mind-Body-Space Global Symposium, an international symposium in Amsterdam from 6 to 10 July on evidence-based and holistic design. Over five days, leading designers, researchers, and thinkers come together to move beyond the boundaries of their disciplines and define the human habitats of tomorrow.

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Material Matters Copenhagen returns to #3daysofdesign on 10–12 June. 

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Material Matters Copenhagen returns to #3daysofdesign on 10–12 June. 

Something we're very much looking forward to this week.

Material Matters Copenhagen returns to #3daysofdesign on 10–12 June. 

Nineteen makers, manufacturers and researchers, from Hong Kong to Slovakia, India to Ukraine, gather at Ukraine House, Gammel Dok to explore material intelligence and asl what materials can do, and what they should no longer be asked to do.

For the biophilic approach there's plenty to get excited about. AHEC's immersive Wood for the Trees traces hardwood from forest to finished product across a 140sqm abstract woodland. Aifungi continues its investigation into mycelium-based furniture and lighting. Malai grows bacterial cellulose from coconut processing waste, and Kateha brings 270 years of rug-making heritage rooted in natural fibre.

Elsewhere, rice-husk waste, recycled glass, bio-based adhesives, olive pits and Nordic wood fibre all make an appearance. Material intelligence in the most grounded, tangible sense.

Free to attend. Register via the 3daysofdesign app.

Ukraine House, Gammel Dok, Strandgade 27B, Copenhagen

10–12 June | 10.00–18.00 daily

More at materialmatters.design/copenhagen-fair

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The Natural Biophilic Solution to Health Housing and Climate - Response to the Kings Speech May 2026

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The Natural Biophilic Solution to Health Housing and Climate - Response to the Kings Speech May 2026

The King’s Speech this week placed housing, clean water, energy independence, infrastructure and climate resilience firmly at the centre of the national conversation. For those of us working in and advocating for Biophilic Design, this moment matters deeply, because the ambitions outlined by government cannot truly succeed without a more fundamental shift in how we design places for people and planet.

READ ON…

Living Architecture: Bioreceptive Design for People and Planet

👀 An inspiring read for you : we have just featured Alive Labs in a monograph here at the Journal of Biophilic Design , ahead of their and our appearance at this week's Futurebuild event.

Not just as a case study, but as part of a wider conversation about where design is heading, inside and outside buildings.

Inside:

• Passive acoustic softening 🔈

• Biophilic stress reduction 😌

• Air quality support 💨

• Spatial warmth in hard interiors ✅

Outside:

• Scalable living façade systems 🕋

• Biodiversity-supporting surfaces 🦋

• Reduced embodied carbon potential 🌲

• Alternative to conventional cladding systems 🏢

The piece also traces the origin of the idea from Terra Preta, the ancient Amazonian soil systems that demonstrated how human design and ecology can reinforce each other rather than compete.

Moss isn’t just a decorative finish. It’s a living material system, one that behaves differently depending on context, scale, and substrate.

The monograph captures that evolution beautifully in words and pictures. If you're interested in biophilic design and architecture, it's a delight to flick through. (Link to the full piece in comments)

Come see us at Future Build next week, 12-14 May https://lnkd.in/e-7wX-rW

Read the Monograph here:

https://lnkd.in/e7FYee38

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We debut at the Salone Milan April 2026 - come to our talk on 22 April

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We debut at the Salone Milan April 2026 - come to our talk on 22 April

Journal of Biophilic Design makes debut appearance to Host Biophilic Workplace-Focused Panel at Fuorisalone 2026, Milan

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 ITALY

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

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Resilience, Reuse and Regenerative design - FUTUREBUILD

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Resilience, Reuse and Regenerative design - FUTUREBUILD

We are also convening a Biophilic Design Masterclass on Placemaking with two of the best brains in Biophilic Design, Oliver Heath and Bill Browning. Plus a panel discussion on Biophilic Design and Resilience with Kirsty Wilman of Rebalance Earth, Luke Engleback of EcoUrbanist and Joanna Yarrow of Human Nature.

Living Walls, Living Cities - Manoj Malde on Why Vertical Greening Matters

Living Walls, Living Cities - Manoj Malde on Why Vertical Greening Matters

I was thrilled to be asked to attend a talk today hosted by Mobilane at The Building Centre, with award-winning garden designer, writer and TV presenter Manoj Malde who delivered a passionate and deeply personal exploration of living green walls and their role in the future of cities. Blending storytelling with research and practical design insight, Manoj made a compelling case that greenery in urban environments is a fundamental requirement for healthier, more resilient places to live.

Before becoming a garden designer, Manoj worked in the fashion industry, but a career shift led him into landscape and garden design. Early in that transition he spent time in Hong Kong. Surrounded by dense clusters of skyscrapers, he remembers waking one morning expecting to hear birdsong, only to be met with silence. The absence of a dawn chorus, something he had always taken for granted, left him feeling physically unsettled. It was that moment he realised something important, that when nature disappears from daily life, we feel it in our bodies.

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Finding Harmony: a King’s Vision

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Finding Harmony: a King’s Vision

Designers are always searching for ideas that endure — ideas rooted not only in aesthetics, but in how humans live, heal and belong within the natural world. That is why viewing Finding Harmony: A King's Vision matters now. The film brings together decades of thinking from King Charles III about our relationship with nature, communities and the built environment — themes that sit at the heart of biophilic design.

For architects, landscape architects and urban designers, the documentary offers more than a portrait of a monarch’s environmental advocacy. It is, in many ways, a historical record of ideas that anticipated today’s conversations around regenerative design, nature-based solutions and the social value of green space. In a moment when the profession is grappling with climate, wellbeing and how cities must evolve, the film provides context — and a reminder that these principles have deep roots.

Designers should watch it not simply as a documentary, but as a source of hope and inspiration. It shows that reconnecting people, place and nature is not an abstract theory but a lived practice — one that can shape farms, neighbourhoods, prisons, schools and entire communities. At a time when the future can feel uncertain, the film argues that harmony with nature is still possible, and that design has a crucial role in achieving it.

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Sustainability Talks - From biophilia to net zero

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Sustainability Talks - From biophilia to net zero

Will we see you at Workspace Design Show 25 - 26 February 2026?

  • Sustainability Talks – From biophilia to net zero

  • “Reconnecting design and nature: Purpose, people, and the challenges of biophilia” chaired by Vanessa Champion (The Journal of Biophilic Design), featuring Nicola Tomkins (Overbury), Lidia Johansen (chapmanbdsp) and Paulo Ribeiro (AECOM).

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Best in Workplace Design Recognised in 2026 Workspace Design Awards Shortlist

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Best in Workplace Design Recognised in 2026 Workspace Design Awards Shortlist

The 2026 edition of Workspace Design Show has officially revealed the shortlisted projects for its newly launched Workspace Design Awards, recognising outstanding achievements across workplace design, innovation, sustainability, experience and adaptability.The shortlisted projects showcase the breadth and depth of talent shaping today’s workplaces across the UK and Europe,from smart offices and large-scale corporate headquarters to flexible co-working environments and future-focused concept designs.Winners from all categories will be announced liveat the Workspace Design Awards Ceremony & Networking Party, taking place on Wednesday 25 February 2026 from 5:30pm to 7:30pm. The evening will bring together designers, architects, occupiers, and industry leaders to celebrate the most creative projects in workplace design. The networking party is also proudly sponsored by Mute, who is the main Headline Sponsor of the awards.

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Biophilia can battle Blue Monday!

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Biophilia can battle Blue Monday!

As the third Monday in January earns its reputation as the year’s most challenging day, Biophilic Design offers a much needed antidote. Rooted in our innate connection to nature, biophilic principles remind us that even small encounters with living systems—particularly plants—can positively influence mood, reduce stress and restore emotional balance. By introducing calming blue-green foliage and flowering plants into our homes and workplaces, we can soften the impact of “Blue Monday,” using colour, texture and life itself to create spaces that nurture wellbeing. In this spirit, renowned interior landscape designer, houseplant stylist and author of At Home With Plants, Ian Drummond shares his favourite “blue plants” to lift the spirits and bring a smile when it’s needed most.

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Chief People Priorities for 2026 - A Biophilic Response.

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Chief People Priorities for 2026 - A Biophilic Response.

At its core, Biophilic Design is not about plants or aesthetics. It is about designing the conditions in which humans function best, drawing on our innate biological responses to light, nature, materiality, rhythm, refuge, connection and sensory balance. In other words, it provides a tangible way to turn cultural intent into lived experience.

Culture as an operating system is expressed not only through policies and leadership behaviours, but through the environments people inhabit every day. Spatial hierarchy, access to daylight, acoustic control, choice and autonomy, visibility, and opportunities for connection all send powerful signals about what is valued. A workplace that offers psychological safety, dignity, and agency does not rely solely on behavioural KPIs to reinforce culture — it embeds it into the system itself.

Similarly, as leaders become the primary interface of culture, the environments they operate within either support or undermine their ability to lead well. Biophilic workplaces reduce cognitive load, stress and fatigue, enabling better judgement, emotional regulation and decision-making. This matters when leaders are being asked to hold complexity, have difficult conversations and support mental health alongside performance. Capability does not exist in isolation from context.

CPOs’ deliberate reframing of wellbeing as performance infrastructure also aligns strongly with biophilic principles. Decades of research link exposure to natural light, views of nature, sensory variability and restorative spaces with improved concentration, faster recovery from stress, reduced absenteeism and stronger engagement. This is not a trade-off between care and results; it is a performance strategy grounded in human biology. READ on

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Futurebuild 2026

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Futurebuild 2026

The Journal of Biophilic Design is proud to be one of 60+ industry-leading organisations, including UK Green Building Council (UKGBC), RIBA, ASBP - Alliance for Sustainable Building Products, and UK Architects Declare, supporting Futurebuild 2026. These influential bodies and associations play an integral role in the Futurebuild Knowledge Programme, delivering 133 hours of CPD-accredited content over 3 days across two conferences and multiple seminar stages.

Futurebuild is the platform where content is curated by the industry for the industry. Immerse yourself in three days of ideas, inspiration, topical discussions and debates on:

Improving design & safety
Tackling rising costs
Meeting ambitious sustainability goals

Find out more and register free CLICK HERE

Workspace Design Show Amsterdam opens 5-6 November 2025

Workspace Design Show Amsterdam opens 5-6 November 2025

Workspace Design Show (5–6 November 2025, Hall 5, RAI Amsterdam) is set to welcome thousands of workplace professionals next week including architects, designers, and occupiers from across Europe.

This year’s edition invites visitors to “Activate their Senses”, turning every corner of Hall 5 into a vibrant, multi-sensory exploration of how design can transform the way we work, feel, and connect…. READ on

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A not quite fatal world

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A not quite fatal world

Who would want to live in a world that is not quite fatal?

So said ecologist Paul Shepherd in 1958, and quoted by Rachel Carson in “Silent Spring”. 

The Biophilic Design Conference this year has a theme of Policy, Place, Planet – Biophilic Design for a regenerative future. It has this theme for a reason. 

We are living in a ticking time bomb. Our planet is heating up, our climates are changing all over the world, our food security is at risk, our physical health is challenged not just by lifestyle and town planning but also by air and sound pollution inside and outside of the home and workplace, our crops are sprayed, our bees are dying, we are losing our pollinators, our skies are quieter, our living world is struggling to breathe and we are the culprits.

When I first learnt about Biophilic Design, it seemed to me a concept which if applied globally and on all facets of society we could go some way to reverse the ills we have inflicted onto ourselves and our planet. 

READ ON… 

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