Biophilic Design: Working with nature through design and its impact on mental health and wellbeing

17/02/2022 1:00 pm to 17/02/2022 2:30 pm

Event Details

** This event has now passed**

 

This webinar explored the elements of biophilic design; the psychological impacts and experience of mimicking nature in design; the clinical experience of incorporating nature into therapy; and showcase examples of biophilic design in internal and external spaces through the lens of architecture and urban planning.

 

 

 

If you’d like more information or would like to chat about the Healthy Happy Places programme we’d love to hear from you. Please contact Rachel Turnbull [email protected]

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Exploring the Science Supporting Biophilic Design, Bill Browning, BED Colorado University

This session will explore some of the science involved in understanding some of our psychological and physiological responses to experiences of nature, and how that translates to design.

Bill Browning

Bill Browning, BED Colorado University, MSRED MIT, Hon. AIA, LEED AP., is one of the green building industry’s foremost thinkers. Terrapin Bright Green is an environmental strategies research and consulting firm. Browning’s clients include Disney, New Songdo City, Lucasfilm, Google, Bank of America, Marriott, the White House, Interface, and the Sydney 2000 Olympics.

Browning is a  founding board member of the USGBC. He is a co-author of the Economics of Biophilia, 14 Patterns of Biophilic Design, and Nature Inside: A Biophilic Design Guide.

Ecotherapy – Using nature therapeutically. Dr Abi Tarran-Jones, Clinical Psychologist and Nature/Outdoor Therapist, Tees Esk and Wear Valleys NHS Foundation Trust

Abi will briefly introduce ecotherapy and ecopsychology to share the value of involving nature and delivering outdoor therapy to support mental health and recovery.

Abi Tarran-Jones is a Clinical Psychologist with 5 years of experience working in NHS settings supporting the mental health and wellbeing of older people and their families and carers. In response to the wealth of research demonstrating the therapeutic value of nature and in search of a restorative and sustainable way of working, she has branched out into outdoor therapy. Combining her two passions: helping others live full and meaningful lives, even with the challenges they face and connecting with and being in nature.

 

Biophilic Cities – Exploring the smart-biophilic city interface to deliver improved urban planning and governance

Prof Alister Scott, Professor of Environmental Geography, Chartered Planner, and Chair of Building with Nature Standards Group

 

This talk will explore biophilia and SMART cities through an interdisciplinary planning lens to highlight the importance and interconnectedness between nature and technology in our urban environments, illustrated through examples from Birmingham in the West Midlands undertaken as part of a research project on Urban Living.

 

Alister is a geographer and chartered planner (MRTPI) operating at the interface of the built and natural environment. His research focuses on improving the mainstreaming of nature in policy and decision making processes and outcomes. He has published over 40 peer review papers and secured grant income in excess of £2 million. In addition, he has written over 100 popular press articles and blogs as well as produced innovative video policy briefs, board games and media interviews reflecting his commitment to improving the communication of science into multiple policy and public arenas.

Alister champions both interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary research where policy and practice communities are embedded as members of his research teams. Projects include work with WSP and Ecosystems Knowledge network on developing the NATURE tool to assess net gain; a NERC knowledge exchange grant on mainstreaming green infrastructure in the planning system working with multiple policy and practice audiences to address their agendas and work within a NERC Integrated catchment management project in Leeds (ICASP) on making an improved business case for Green Infrastructure. He has also developed an innovative board game platform Participology which has been used across the world to tackle environmental challenges. He is also an advisory member of the HM Government Green Infrastructure Standards Board and chairs the Building with Nature Green infrastructures standards group.

His teaching covers a wide range of governance subjects straddling urban and rural domains and is based on real-life projects working in partnership with community groups and professional bodies. Alister’s research leadership skills have been recognised with a recent award in the inaugural UK levelling up awards 2021 under the Homes and Sustainable communities category.

 

Watch the December event: Healing Environments

 

 

This event is part of a series of webinars being delivered by the Healthy Happy Places programme.  The webinars will be exploring a range of topics which will showcase perspectives from mental health, architecture and urban planning to explore why the built and designed environment matters when thinking about mental health and wellbeing. The design of buildings and the shaping of public spaces in the places we live, work and play contribute to our lived experiences, how we feel, and have the power to promote or stifle wellbeing and recovery.

 

 

 

 

The Healthy Happy Places programme is delighted to be showcasing perspectives from mental health, architecture and urban planning to explore why the built environment matters when thinking about mental health and wellbeing. The design of buildings and the shaping of public spaces in the places we live, work and play contribute to our lived experiences, how we feel, and have the power to promote or stifle wellbeing and recovery.

The Healthy Happy Places programme is funded by the Academic Health Science Network for the North East and North Cumbria (AHSN NENC) and is being delivered as a partnership initiative on behalf of the Integrated Care System for the North East and North Cumbria (ICS NENC) to develop a multi-sector approach for supporting and creating mental health and wellbeing through the built environment.