regenerative design

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What is a Blueprint for Nature? The fusion of One Planet Living and Biophilic Design

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What is a Blueprint for Nature? The fusion of One Planet Living and Biophilic Design

How can we design our cities and towns that are not only sustainable but also help us flourish. In this podcast we explore the intersection between One Planet Living and Biophilic Design - two transformative approaches that reimagine our relationship with the natural world. Sue Riddlestone, co-founder of BioRegional, offers a compelling vision of how we can redesign our living spaces to harmonise with nature.

Sue tells us about what is in effect a beautiful living laboratory and case study, BedZED (Beddington Zero Energy Development), a groundbreaking eco-village that serves as a blueprint for sustainable living. Sue describes it as "probably the first large net zero development in the UK," featuring 100 homes, workspace, and a school that breathes life into the concept of nature-integrated design.

What makes BedZED extraordinary is its holistic approach. Sue recalls how residents could look out of windows and see green spaces, hear hedgehogs "snuffling and snorting," and experience nature as an integral part of daily life. The community didn't just design with nature - they actively enhanced it, with the residents' association continuing to plant and nurture the surrounding environment.

These principles of interconnection, which both One Planet Living and Biophilic Design share are fundamental principles that prioritise human connection with natural systems. Sue emphasises this critical perspective: "We are nature. We are part of nature." READ ON….

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Cities as Forests? Biophilic Design and the Art of Architectural Restoration

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Cities as Forests? Biophilic Design and the Art of Architectural Restoration

In the intricate dance of preserving architectural heritage and embracing nature, Nick De Klerk demonstrates how biophilic design can breathe new life into existing structures, transforming historic spaces into vibrant, living environments that honour their past while addressing contemporary challenges. By reimagining buildings as interconnected ecosystems - much like a forest where every element plays a crucial role - Nick shows how sensitive restoration can create transformative spaces that reconnect people with nature, history, and community. In a world increasingly disconnected from nature, architects like Nick are pioneering a transformative approach to design that reconnects humans with their fundamental need for natural environments. "Access and proximity to nature are a basic human need," Nick emphasises, drawing from his childhood experiences growing up close to nature.

 

Biophilic design is about creating moments of awe, surprise and wonder. Nick describes these as "unexpected transitions" that take your breath away - moving from a constrained, dark space into a light-filled, plant-abundant area that immediately transforms your sensory experience. These moments of awe are critical, creating what he calls a "transformational experience" where people don't just occupy a space, but are fundamentally changed by it.

 

We also talk about how we can preserve Heritage while embracing nature. The key to sustainable design lies in respecting existing structures. "The greenest building is one that already exists," Nick quotes, highlighting Purcell Architects' philosophy of working with heritage buildings. Their approach isn't about wholesale replacement, but sensitive enhancement - improving thermal performance, integrating natural elements, and maintaining the building's historical character.

Read on and watch the interview….

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HuffnPuff House

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HuffnPuff House

Talina Edwards, founder of the award-winning architecture firm Envirotecture, shares her passion for sustainable, biophilic design that reconnects people with the natural world.

Based in Ballarat, Victoria, Talina and her team are at the forefront of a movement to transform the way homes and buildings are constructed in Australia. "We really care about health, we really care about people, and we really care about the planet, because we want a healthy, thriving future for the future generations," Talina explains. This ethos underpins Envirotecture's work, which spans certified PassivHaus projects, off-grid homes, and advocacy for more environmentally-conscious building practices.

One of Talina's standout projects is the "Huff and Puff" house, a straw bale home that also achieved PassivHaus certification. "We wanted it to be very healthy. The clients were very keen on using straw because of being so connected to the land there. So that drove the whole project," she said. The home's thick straw walls, combined with careful solar orientation and triple-glazed windows, allowed it to meet the rigorous PassivHaus standard while still maintaining a strong connection to its natural surroundings.

This connection to place is a crucial element of biophilic design, which Talina sees as essential for shifting societal mindsets around sustainability. She believes that biophilic principles can have a profound impact. ..

Read on and listen to /watch the podcast

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Biophilic Design healing our earth - interview with Jojo Mehta co-founder of Stop Ecocide International

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Biophilic Design healing our earth - interview with Jojo Mehta co-founder of Stop Ecocide International

"I love this term biophilia, because it's this, in a sense, it's a love of nature in a word, isn't it? And I had this beautiful description recently of what it actually means to love something or to love someone. In very plain terms, it means to include that person or that thing's interests as one's own." Jojo Mehta, Co-founder, Stop Ecocide International.

 

For me Biophilic Design has the potential to heal more than just physical and mental health of people, it has the potential to help heal our earth too. If we implemented Biophilic Design in cities for instance, we can help mitigate climate change, even just by planting more trees which is a Biophilic Design solution, we increase tree canopy cover, increase biodiversity, mitigate flooding. There are many more, from creating Blue cities with cleaner rivers and waterways to planting on roofs and sides of buildings helping reduce the need to switch on air conditioning units in the summer and heating in the winter, which in turn reduces energy consumption. Also, as interior designers we specify more natural materials, reducing plastic, are more considerate of what textiles are made of and originate from.

With our global temperature reaching a danger point, we need to do all we can as designers, architects, fit out managers and anyone who works in the built environment at any point.

Today we have got the amazing Jojo Mehta with us on the podcast. Jojo is CEO and co-founder of Stop Ecocide International (SEI), the hub of the global movement to create a new international crime of ecocide to protect the Earth from the worst acts of environmental damage, a movement that is gaining significant political traction.  She co-founded SEI with the visionary lawyer, Polly Higgins, who died in 2019, having devoted the final decade of her life to the cause.

 

We explore and put into context just WHY we need to do more as designers, seize every opportunity we can to create better environments, not just for people, but for planet too and also how Biophilic Design is an essential part of the solution.....

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Sustainable Interior Design

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Sustainable Interior Design

Is Sustainable Design achievable? There are so many designers out there creating spaces which are not only just beautiful but also sustainable and regenerative. We speak with Chloe Bullock, a renowned interior designer; through her company Materialise Interiors she helps clients who want a more consciously sourced and specified interior with sustainability and human-centred design at its heart.  She is a founding signatory of “Interior Design Declares” which is a body that exists for people working in the interior design industry and its supply chains to strengthen working practices and the design of spaces that have a more positive impact on the world around us.

Chloe’s early career included 10 years working with Anita Roddick at the body shop during which time she developed the strong commitment to ethical business and sustainable design that drives the work of Materialise Interiors.  Her designs focus on compassionate design, the use of healthy materials, ease of repair and the use of regenerative design principles.

We talk about many things, including her NEW BOOK Sustainable Interior Design. Listening to her speak, it’s clear why she is a popular panellist/commentator and regularly has articles in the press.  In this insightful podcast Chloe explains how her principles drive her work and how important Biophilic Design is to her.

From her early days with the Body Shop and through the period of its early success, she saw how exciting it was to learn about transparency, material health and sustainability as she it became a global brand. 

Experience she cites as being invaluable in defining her interior design career…. Listen to the podcast and read on.

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