Thank you to all who attended the Biophilia Summit 2025. The recording is now available for additional registrants on demand. Please register for the event below to gain access to the recordings. If you have already registered, please input your Access Code here to gain access.
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Biophilia Summit 2025
25 September 2025
Join us for this innovative, around-the-globe event, organised by Living Future Europe's Biophilic Society, in collaboration with Grimshaw. Focused on bringing together the key players and biophilic champions from six continents, presenting the latest research, disciplines, case studies and field-leading practices around biophilic topics, to create conversations and advance awareness and practice.
“Reconnecting with nature will save our society.” – The Biophilic Society
The Biophilia Summit is the first-of-its-kind event series, dedicated to biophilic design, research, and innovative practices across disciplines, launched in 2023 and growing ever since. Now in its third edition, the 2025 Summit is organised in collaboration with Grimshaw, a leading architectural practice and key member of the LFE Coalition — a growing group of AEC and building industry leaders advancing a regenerative built future. Together, we’re creating a space for fresh ideas, cross-sector dialogue, and real-world impact.
Recording
• Recording of the event will be available for registrants and to those who wish to purchase late tickets.
Topics
• agriculture, architecture, art, artificial intelligence & technology, biomimicry, education, health, imagineering, inner biophilia, leadership, photography, research & practice
Target group
• biophilia lovers, architects, artists, consultants, designers, educators, manufacturers, property developers, psychologists, researchers.
Keywords
• biophilia, biophilic design, biomimicry, regenerative sustainability, architecture, engineering, interior design, constructions, biophilic policy making, psychology, mindfulness, wellbeing, health, education, leadership, art, imagineering, photography, nature, beauty, collaboration, regenerative design, Living Building Challenge, Biophilia Playbook, Living Future Europe, innovation, circular economy.
Hashtags
#Biophilia2025 #BiophiliaSummit2025 #BS25 #LivingFutureEurope #BiophilicSociety #Grimshaw #Biomimicry #LivingBuildingChallenge
[Photo by Daniel Sessler, Unsplash]
COPYRIGHT © 2025 LIVING FUTURE EUROPE, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
Carlo Battisti
Archie Patel: Designing Nature Experiences: A Framework of Nature-Experiential Archetypes in ArchitectureKEYNOTE | Giovanni Cossu: CapitaLand Case Studies and Singapore’s Policy-Driven EvolutionNishita Shah: Above Ground, Missing Green: Uncovering the Need for Biophilia in Bengaluru’s Vertical HomesPanel DiscussionGiovanni Cossu | Archie Patel | Nishita ShahModerator: Laura Hamilton-O'Hara
Melissa King
Escape from the screen
KEYNOTE | Stuart Macalister: Buildings at the Intersection of Regenerative and Biophilic DesignLenna Lockwood: Biophilia and Healthspan: Reintegrating Nature into the Longevity DiscourseBruno Deraedt: Making Kin by Designing for Health in FlandersNatasha Reid: Compassionate Places, Biophilic Design & NeuroarchitecturePanel DiscussionStuart Macalister | Lenna Lockwood | Bruno Deraedt | Natasha Reid Moderator: Ann Vanner
Kara de los Reyes: Guiding Change through Gentle InquiryMartin Bunge: The Emergence of PracticePanel DiscussionKara de los Reyes | Martin BungeModerator: Martin Brown
Robert Bedner
KEYNOTE | Michael PawlynPanel Discussion - Hosted by GrimshawMichael PawlynAndrew Whalley (Grimshaw)Kalina RaskinAmanda SturgeonModerator: Paul Toyne (Grimshaw)
Matthew VanSweden: From Brutalist to Belonging: Biophilia as Infrastructure of CareDee Schlotter: The Biophilic Nature of Frank Lloyd Wright's FallingwaterPanel DiscussionMatthew VanSweden | Dee Schlotter Moderator: Wangui Mwangi
Meghan Mick
William Hiers: Designing with Life in Mind: Teaching Biophilia through the Lens of PermacultureAna Isabel Carreno: The Impact of Biophilic Experience on Students' Design ProcessesPanel DiscussionWilliam Hiers | Ana Isabel CarrenoModerator: Margarita Carlés
KEYNOTE | Alexandra Bowen: Rewilding Imagination: Co-Creating a Biophilic Future Through AI
Martin Brown
Degree in Civil Engineering from the Politecnico of Milan, about 20 years of experience in construction companies with different roles, 15 as sustainable innovation manager & consultant. Master of Management and Organizational Development at MIP. LEED, Living Future, WELL and RESET AP. USGBC & WELL Faculty. LF Hero. In 2009-2022, he has been working with IDM South Tyrol as an innovation manager in the Ecosystem Construction. In 2017-2021 he was Chair of the COST Action 'REthinking Sustainability TOwards a Regenerative Economy' (RESTORE). Since 2019 he is President at Living Future Europe. He co-founded the Biophilic Society and coordinates LFE biophilic design strategy.
Martin, FRSA, is a Regenerative Provocateur based in Lancashire, VP at Living Future Europe, LF Hero and Co-Chair of Longridge Environment Group. Vice Chair of the COST Action RESTORE (2017-21).
Blending a passion for outdoor exploration with a lifelong career in the built environment, Martin is a pioneer and inspiration voice in the built environment regenerative thinking as advisor, educator, commentator, speaker, and author.
He supports, counsels, nurtures, and provokes many organisations on their regenerative journeys and discoveries. As founder and host of the Zoom Regenerative online conversation series, he gives time and space for regenerative voices globally.
Architect, educator & regenerative practitioner, an undisciplined and unconventional thinker. A Living Future Accredited Professional, Chartered Architectural Technologist, Chartered Architect, and Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy. Founder of Healing Buildings, Ann is driven by a belief in the power of practical creativity—combining hands-on making, inspirational pragmatism, and socially responsive design to create spaces that are healing, inclusive, and ecologically restorative, buildings that do more than shelter—they nurture, regenerate, and inspire. Ann spent over a decade as Principal Lecturer in Architecture at UCLan, leading programmes in architecture, architectural technology, and professional practice.
Laura has a Master’s Degree in Social Ecology and two decades of industry experience working in conservation, sustainability and social justice in Australia and South Africa. A through line for Laura in all her work is sustainability leadership and leverage points in systems. She was recognised for this as one of the 50 Women in Global Sustainability Leadership by Sustainability X Magazine in 2022. After several years in strategic roles in Sydney at Taronga Zoo, Macquarie University and the Centre for Sustainability Leadership, Laura is currently the CEO of the Living Future Institute of Australia (LFIA). LFIA harnesses the built environment as a powerful vehicle to create a world that is socially just, culturally rich, and ecologically restorative.
Margarita brings over 20 years of experience leading social and environmental entrepreneurship, empowering small producers transitioning to organic and regenerative practices in Argentina, Chile, and Mexico. Mayma also promotes inclusive, collaborative, and sustainable business models, harnessing innovation, triple-impact strategies, and systemic transformation in communities and ecosystems.
A permaculturist and conservationist at heart, she has lived and worked in Parque Nacional El Impenetrable (Chaco) with Tompkins Conservation in Patagonia. She is a lifelong student of ancestral healing practices, devoted to restoring harmony between people and the Earth. She holds a B.A. from Rutgers University, USA.
A TEDx Speaker, award-winning biophilic design advocate (read her latest article), Interior Designer, a 2025 Rewild Champion, founder of Green Biophilis Living and certified green building consultant (EDGE, IFC), dedicated to restoring Africa’s deep connection with nature through regenerative, culture-centred design. Her work spans wellness real estate, sustainable communities, and biophilic master planning, promoting zero-VOC materials, slowlife wellness principles, and community-led regenerative projects. Wangui’s mission is to build an African Biophilia Empire that preserves traditional knowledge, inspires modern design rooted in nature, and supports thriving local ecosystems.
Giovanni Cossu advances the green competency of CapitaLand Development (CLD), the development arm of CapitaLand Group, throughout the entire life cycle of building and precinct projects, as well as championing all sustainability initiatives and ESG efforts. Over his career, he served as a sustainable development consultant in Singapore, China and Europe. In Singapore, Cossu led strategic sustainability initiatives and
developments, overseeing the integration of net-zero, health, and well-being targets into various asset classes. Among his achievements is Singapore's first new-build net-zero energy building, SDE4, located at the College of Design and Engineering (CDE), National University of Singapore.
B.Arch (Hons), Dip. Arch, M.Arch Mackintosh School of Architecture, Glasgow School of Art, Glasgow, UK. Stuart joined Heatherwick Studio in 2016 as a Technical Design Leader to oversee projects with a particular focus on ensuring quality and innovation. He held the lead role on a portfolio of award-winning sustainable office projects for Google in California, plus several others worldwide.
More recently, he has been appointed to lead on Sustainability at Heatherwick Studio, helping to ensure that the design process continues to evolve in a way that benefits both people and the planet.
Michael Pawlyn is an architect, writer and public speaker. He has been described as an expert in regenerative design and biomimicry. He established his firm, Exploration Architecture, in 2007 to focus on high-performance buildings and solutions for the circular economy.
Prior to setting up Exploration, Michael Pawlyn worked with Grimshaw for ten years and was central to the team that designed the Eden Project. He is regularly booked as a keynote speaker on innovation and his TEDx talk has had over 2 million views. He has written two books - 'Flourish: Design Paradigms for Our Planetary Emergency' (co-authored with Sarah Ichioka) and 'Biomimicry in Architecture' – both of which have been the respective publisher’s best-selling title. In 2019 he jointly initiated ‘Architects Declare a Climate and Biodiversity Emergency’ – a global call to action which has spread to 28 countries with over 7,000 firms signed up.
Award-winning Technical Program Manager with 10+ years of experience in privacy, security, incident response, AI-driven automation, and regulatory compliance. Recognised for advancing AI and LLM solutions to enhance incident response and privacy automation. Holds CIPT and CIPM certifications. Founder of the Biophilic Design Community, one of the largest communities dedicated to bringing together professionals and enthusiasts passionate about integrating nature into the built environment. Driven by the belief that thoughtful design can create lasting positive change, she is committed to shaping environments that benefit both the planet and the people who inhabit it. With a degree in Environmental Design and Urban Planning, she specialises in nature-inspired design strategies, green infrastructure, and community engagement to promote sustainability, resilience, and vibrant, healthy environments.
BIOPHILIC DESIGN - THE FUTURE OF CITIES
Biophilic design in cities shakes up the conceptual process by asking new questions, provoking new reflections on the potential of the built environment, inviting policymakers and the project team to explore the advantages of a design aimed at the connection between human beings and nature.
Keynote speaker: Giovanni Cossu | CapitaLand Case Studies and Singapore’s Policy-Driven Evolution
Archie is a doctoral candidate whose research explores how architecture can foster meaningful connections with nature through biophilic design. Her work focuses on spatial, material, and sensory strategies that support nature integration in the built environment. In addition to her academic work, she is currently engaged in architectural practice, contributing to projects that embed biophilic principles into both design thinking and material expression. She has also served on the judging panel for biophilic design awards for Living Future Institute Australia, supporting the recognition of projects that exemplify innovative and thoughtful approaches to nature-integrated design.
Nishita Shah is a graduate in Architecture from CEPT University with over a decade of experience across diverse architectural and interior projects. She worked with renowned firms in Bangalore on a range of scales and types of projects, from homes to hospitality spaces.
Currently, she balances professional practice with academics, being associated with CMR University, and mentoring young design minds. She is keen to explore writing for research journals, channelling her insights and experiences into meaningful contributions that deepen her own understanding and push the boundaries of design thinking.
Art therapist and clinical supervisor with over 15 years of experience, working with creativity as a way to explore consciousness, emotional life, and our deep relationship with nature. She is a Senior Lecturer and Programme Leader for the MA Art Therapy at the University of Chester, an external examiner, and a board member of the British Association of Art Therapists. Melissa teaches outdoor art therapy, nature-based practices, the work of Carl Jung, therapeutic frames, meditation, visualisation, symbolism, metaphor, working with dreams and archetypal imagery. Her practice draws on nature and symbolic imagery to help others explore their inner world.
BIOPHILIC DESIGN - DESIGNING FOR HAPPINESS
Biophilic design recognises that our connection to nature is essential for physical, mental, and emotional wellbeing, nurturing joy, reducing stress, and fostering a sense of belonging.
Keynote speaker: Stuart Macalister | Buildings at the Intersection of Regenerative and Biophilic Design
After more than a decade of corporate experience in the workplace and real estate strategy, design, and project management in the United States and Western Europe, Lenna founded Prospera to provide focused and impactful advisory for supporting human thriving in the built environment. Prospera helps real estate investors, developers, and design teams create places where people thrive—that elevate human potential while meeting the urgent challenges of climate, wellbeing, and social equity.
Previously worked as an interior designer committed to creating sustainable indoor environments that prioritise occupant health and well-being. As a regenerative material specialist, trained practitioners at the LFE Masterclass 2025.
A civil engineer-architect with over 25 years of experience in ecological and regenerative design. Founder of SymbioAE, a symbiotic engineering office dedicated to biophilic, sustainable and future-resilient building solutions. Bruno combines technical precision with deep ecological awareness and has co-founded several pioneering initiatives, including the UR.zone Regenerative Business Centre and BAST architects & engineers. He teaches Regenerative Design and Building Services at KU Leuven and inspires professionals through lectures and trainings on timber construction, healthy interiors and biobased systems. Rooted in systems thinking and human ecology, Bruno’s work bridges technical innovation with lived sustainability.
Natasha Reid, founder of MATTER SPACE SOUL, is a progressive spatial design lab working at the intersection of architecture, urban design, art and the human sciences, such as neuroscience and environmental psychology.
Speaker and practitioner, she specialises in the emerging fields of Human-Centric Design and NeuroArchitecture, with a focus on Biophilic Design, prioritising people’s experience, emotion, empathy and equity with her “Compassionate Places” design method. She is an advocate for the power of design to create change that matters for people and was named a “Groundbreaker” by international design authority Wallpaper* magazine in 2021.
LEADERSHIP BY NATURE
Leadership inspired by nature draws on the principles, resilience, and balance found in the natural world to guide decision-making and collaboration. It encourages thinking systemically, acting regeneratively, and cultivating environments where innovation, diversity, and mutual support can flourish — shaping a future that benefits both people and the planet.
Kara is a Consultant, Strategist, and Facilitator dedicated to co-creating spaces that honour living systems. She is a Trustee of Artspace Lifespace in Bristol and a Fellow of The Bio-leadership Project. Having grown up in the Philippines, she is deeply aware of the destructive impacts of conventional infrastructure and development, which shaped her commitment to more ecological and life-affirming pathways. Experiences: Board Director for Land is Life, leading collaborative design studios shaping learning and working environments, serving on the TEDxBristol Core Team (2013–2019), and holding External Examiner and Lecturer positions at UK universities. Founder of the collective platform, TerraLupa, she works with stewards of the land, developers, design teams, and communities for holistic approaches grounded in reciprocity with the living world.
For more than 15 years, he has been designing and accompanying learning processes in teams and organisations, helping to reveal and activate the potential that lives latent in all those who wish to engage with life. At Experiencia Raíz he creates experiential learning processes, mostly working with teams inside corporations and NGOs, foregrounding the importance of observing our human nature inside an organisational context. Works with individuals and teams, searching for adequate questions and possible answers to our socio-ecological complexity and our way of participating. Holds a degree in Business Administration (UCES), an MSc in Organisational Studies (UDESA) and other workshops and programmes related to facilitation and learning. Also holds an MA in Philosophy of Social Innovation (Alanus Hochschule).
Robert has spent a life in architecture, from working with Sverre Fehn in Norway and Renzo Piano in Paris and the artist Vito Acconci in New York City to Cura Designs' ongoing residential and community projects in the UK and abroad. The architecture practice endeavours to best serve the natural world not by retreating from it and minimising our footprint, but by participating more fully as a new regenerative extension of ecology, protecting and enhancing biodiversity through integrating design and architectural technology with nature for our well-being. Robert has been a member of the Southwest Design Review Panel since 2014 and was recently appointed a Trustee for the Architects Benevolent Society based in London. He is the founder and director of Cura Design, a multi-award-winning architectural practice, offering biophilic design services.
BIOMIMICRY: EMULATING NATURE'S ENGINEERING.
lead by Grimshaw
Nature refined design strategies to unimaginable efficiency, resilience and beauty. In collaboration with Grimshaw, we explore how biomimicry can inspire transformative approaches to architecture and engineering by emulating the genius of life’s systems.
Keynote speaker and panellist: Michael Pawlyn
Worked all over the world as an environmental campaigner, conservationist and sustainable built environment specialist. He has held Group Sustainability and Environment Director roles at LendLease, WSP and Balfour Beatty. His project experience includes all elements of the built environment, from flagship buildings and developments to infrastructure. Paul is a London Sustainable Development Commissioner appointed by the Mayor of London in 2010 and a member of the UK Government Green Construction Board’s infrastructure working group. He is also a non-executive director and independent advisor to business and government, including clients such as Volvo, Polypipe, Anglian Water, Skanska and Cory Riverside Energy. From 2010 until 2018, he was chair of the sustainability group at Constructing Excellence. Paul has a PhD from Imperial College London and is a fellow at both the Institute of Environmental Management & Assessment and the Royal Society of the Arts. He also has a species of butterfly, one of several he has discovered, named after him.
A Fellow of the American Institute of Architects and an elected US Green Building Council Fellow since 2013. Named as one of the top 10 women in sustainability with the Women in Sustainability Leadership Award in 2015. CEO of The Biomimicry Institute, a global non-profit dedicated to promoting nature-inspired innovation. As the former inaugural CEO of Built by Nature, a network and grant-making fund, she grew the organisation to be able to accelerate the timber and bio-based building materials transformation in Europe and beyond. As Regenerative Design lead at global consultancy Mott MacDonald, she brought climate and biodiversity positive solutions to infrastructure, buildings and cities in the Asia Pacific region. As CEO of the International Living Future Institute, she created regenerative design frameworks to buildings, communities and products, and expanded the organisation globally. The author of the Living Building Challenge and founder of the Biophilic Design Initiative.
The Deputy Chairman of Grimshaw and Partner-in-Charge of a range of projects, including the award-winning International Terminal at Waterloo Station, the redevelopment of Paddington Station, the Experimental Media and Performing Arts and the Eden Project in Cornwall. He taught at the Royal College of Art, Imperial College’s Industrial Design Department, the Architectural Association, University College London and UPenn. He has been a visiting Professor at Washington University, and is an Adjunct Professor at the Department of Architecture and Urban Studies, Politecnico Milano. Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts and Board member of the British Architectural Library Trust. Elected to the AIA College of Fellows for Design and awarded an Honorary Doctorate of Letters from The Glasgow School of Art and the 2021 Champion Award from The Consortium for Sustainable Urbanisation. Received an OBE, recognising Andrew’s services to architecture and environmental sustainability.
CEO & cofounder CEEBIOS, Asteria Board Member, bio-inspired R&D expert and advisor, speaker, teacher & lecturer. A physical-chemical engineer with a degree from ESPCI-Paristech and a PhD in neuroscience from Sorbonne University, Kalina first promoted biomimicry for responsible innovation within the Paris Region Entreprises agency, where she developed tools to support eco-design through biomimicry. She has been leading the development of Ceebios, the Center for Studies and Expertise in Biomimicry since 2013. She has contributed to ISO standardization work on biomimicry and participated in the "Nature-based solutions" expert group at the European Commission. She regularly teaches in major national higher education institutions, is an editorial advisor for technical and scientific works, is sought after by the guidance councils of major public and private bodies and ensures coordination with her international counterparts.
BIOPHILIC DESIGN - EVOLVED RELATIONSHIPS
Exploring how biophilic and place-based design can foster trust, belonging, and stewardship of the natural world, becoming a tool for environmental storytelling and conservation awareness, treating biophilia as emotional infrastructure, creating spaces that nurture cultural connection, institutional healing, and a deeper bond between people and nature.
Regenerative strategist, systems thinker, and narrative designer who leads sustainability and cultural design initiatives at Progressive Companies. A long-time contributor to the AIA Framework for Design Excellence, his work centres on architecture as moral memory: treating buildings not as neutral containers, but as systems that metabolise trauma, trust, and identity. Matthew’s practice spans civic, educational, and cultural typologies, with a focus on narrative infrastructure, ecological empathy, and justice-informed design logic. He develops tools that treat story not as a message, but as consequence architecture, and helps institutions carry values through the friction of real implementation.
A Registered Landscape Architect, a LEED Accredited Professional, and an Assistant Professor at Florida State University. Holding a Master's in Landscape Architecture from the College of Design at NC State University. Her focus is on connecting people to nature and place through design. Her research interests include: outdoor learning, edges in the natural and built environment, and nature-based design to further connect indoor and outdoor environments for the health and well-being of people and the natural world.
With nearly three decades of experience at PPG, Dee brought zero-VOC and environmentally preferred products to the firm. With PPG Colour, Dee initiated the global colour workshop to identify colour trends across architectural, automotive, and consumer products. As the spokesperson for PPG for more than 12 years, she brought “colour of the year” to life with dozens of media outlets. In 2020, she started a consulting business in colour and biophilic design for the architects - Dee continues to present trends, including wood flooring and community affordable housing projects, focusing on biophilic design options. Dee has a B.A. in English Writing and M.S. in Environmental Science Management.
LEARNING FROM THE GROUND. FROM PERMACULTURE TO EDUCATION
Learning from the ground applies the principles of permaculture to education, fostering systems that are regenerative, resilient, and interconnected. It shows how ecological literacy and design principles like zoning, succession, and feedback can help embed biophilia at every scale.
William Hiers is a regenerative agriculture expert, certified permaculture designer, and sustainability consultant with over a decade of experience advancing nature-based solutions. After studying under renowned mentors like Ben Falk and Geoff Lawton, William applied permaculture principles to urban, academic, and corporate contexts—from cofounding a local Transition Town group to guiding sustainability strategy for pharmaceutical R&D. He holds a B.S. in Environmental Economics and an MBA in Sustainability, and currently leads Sustainable Solutions CT, where he advises organizations on decarbonization, carbon footprinting, and systems resilience. His work integrates biophilia, permaculture, and climate-aware strategies to support long-term ecological and human health.
Ana Isabel Carreño is an interior designer, educator, and consultant specialising in biophilic design and trend forecasting for interior spaces. She is currently the Coordinator of the Biophilic Design Course at Universidad Anáhuac México, where she developed and leads a unique academic program focused on biophilia applied to interior design. The program is directly linked to the university’s Master’s in Architecture and Interior Design, offering students the opportunity to specialise and graduate with a focus on biophilia. In addition to her academic work, Ana Isabel teaches Interior Design Trends at a postgraduate level. She is also the founder of Homie Decor, a personal design studio and educational brand offering interior styling consultations and creative workshops. Her courses have been hosted by design brands such as West Elm and Bernhardt Interiors.
TOWARDS A LIVING FUTURE. REIMAGINING THE WORLD THROUGH BIOPHILIA
Exploring how artificial intelligence can help us reimagine and design a truly biophilic future. AI-generated imagery offers a canvas for envisioning regenerative possibilities and turning them into actionable designs, and brings to life nature-inspired concepts that spark curiosity, joy, and ecological thinking.
Keynote speaker: Alexandra Bowen | Rewilding Imagination: Co-Creating a Biophilic Future Through AI
REGISTRATION
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