The UK is one of the most nature-depleted countries and this fact is yet another reason we need more Biophilic Design included into urban planning, architecture, design, and every environmental facet of city and town life.
Robert Delius, Associate Director, Architect and Head of Sustainability at Stride Treglown is doing just that. Aiming to maximise biodiversity through design, Robert has a passion to create an Eden, where buildings and landscapes come together and there's a feeling of abundance, where there's nature and birdsong and insect life and a powerful sense of well-being.
Robert’s background in housing design and master planning has set him up in good stead to create good design and great places. Distinctiveness and place making are a thread through his career. He also has a particular interest in regenerative design and how great design can have a measurably positive impact on climate, ecology and people. In short, he is a brilliantly creative proactive advocate for Biophilic Design.
He believes that forging a closer connection to the natural world, is extremely good for our well-being as well as being good for the planet and good for nature, and his passion for Biophilic Design is life-long. One of the projects he discusses is his Great Bow Yard project in Somerset from 2008. This had gained media attention because it had been flagged as the most energy efficient scheme in the UK. Having recently revisited the project, Robert notes that residents, are not only pleased with the low energy costs, but were actually most enthused by the shared garden and the feelings of well-being that stem from it being a beautiful spot.
In this podcast, Robert talks of his background and upbringing and how that has led him to his passion for living in harmony with nature. He discusses how on his projects, and those of his colleagues, he always looks to introduce as many opportunities as possible for planting in designs, both internally and externally to reduce hard space and introduce a softer more natural element.
This passion is carried through to the present day. As we said at the beginning, Robert is concerned to note that the UK is the most one of the most nature depleted countries in the world and this fact has inspired him, and others, to create a public event “Code Red for Nature” (link below), a funeral for nature in Bath on 20th April 2024. The event is open to all, even Chris Packham will be there supporting and Dan Pearson design studio will also be taking part.
Follow Robert’s work here: https://www.insearchofeden.uk/about
A beautiful example he spoke about in the podcast: General 5 — In Search of Eden ; which is a visual representatino of bringing architecture and landscape together and ‘creating an eden’. See images below.
Links to architecture mentioned by Robert in this pocast:
Great Bow Yard - Stride Treglown
Bath Wellbeing City - Stride Treglown
https://stridetreglown.com/initiatives/sinking-house/
2pm on Saturday 20th April 2024 in Bath, TAKE PART IN ONE OF THE MOST POWERFUL AND AMBITIOUS PIECES OF STREET THEATRE YET TO BE ENACTED ON BEHALF OF BIODIVERSITY LOSS. Code Red for Nature: https://www.coderedfornature.uk/
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