£3M award from AHRC to fund 4-year project on biophilic living
A major award from the Arts and Humanities Research Council will fund a 4-year project on biophilic living.
Academics from Swansea University, University College London (UCL) and University of Wales Trinity Saint David (UWTSD) will work with societal co-leads Hacer Developments Ltd, Pobl Group, Natural Resources Wales and City and County of Swansea Council and other partners.
This project places people and nature at the heart of city-centre regeneration and will consider how biophilic approaches to retrofitting can help cities adapt to the climate and nature crises.
The four-year project is one of just three across the UK chosen for funding through AHRC’s new Mission Awards. Called ‘Retrofitting for the Future: Nature-Based Solutions for Climate Adaptation’, this project explores the cultural, social, and ecological dimensions of biophilic retrofitting and its role in climate adaptation and nature restoration. In particular it will identify the regulatory and human-centred challenges that hinder widespread adoption of biophilic design and deliver evidence-based, replicable pathways to biophilic urban adaptation and retrofitting.
The scale and complexity of the challenge to adapt urban spaces for nature, health and climate demands new approaches. This investigation brings together researchers in the arts, humanities and sciences to work alongside societal partners in social housing, construction, urban-nature restoration and green infrastructure. Our multidisciplinary team will work with citizens and international and local partners in health, enterprise, arts, government, policy, and the global biophilic movement to shape, disseminate, and implement our findings.
At the core of this transdisciplinary investigation are the arts, humanities, and co-creation. Experts in creative writing, design, architecture, history, law, anthropology, psychology, and ecology are collaborating with societal partners in social housing, construction, urban-nature restoration, and green infrastructure to co-define our research agenda. Our local and international partners in health, arts, government, economic development, and the biophilic global movement will shape, disseminate, and implement our findings. Through collaborative leadership, reflexive learning, and inclusive governance, our team convening approach supports the transdisciplinary aims of our research.
Our research will focus on 'Biome', a unique 13-storey biophilic retrofit in Swansea which incorporates social housing, office space, retail and community facilities. We will place the building in its local and national contexts, exploring the journey from an abandoned Woolworths store to a thriving 'live, work, play' environment, directly on the high street. This project aligns with Wales’s Well-being of Future Generations Act and the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals. It will pinpoint regulatory and policy issues that challenge biophilic delivery in the UK and internationally. Using mixed, iterative, and collaborative methods, we will map and evaluate the experiences of people living and working in the building, as well as the ripple effects of the building in region. The building's performance will be monitored by technicians and citizen scientists, with public responses to this data explored. Artists, creatives, diverse communities, schools, policymakers, and other interest groups associated with the building will share their experiences and visions for future urban environments, generating new insights and research challenges, which will be integrated into the project’s exploration of biophilic urban living.
The project’s outputs will include tools and frameworks to address barriers and provide pathways to biophilic adaptation. These will encompass policy briefs, biophilic scorecards, design frameworks, skills maps, curriculum materials, creative works, and international symposia, networks, and transdisciplinary publications.
This in-depth case study aims to drive cross-sector culture change and accelerate the global movement toward socially inclusive biophilic living, contributing to human and planetary well-being.
The project is part of a new initiative by the AHRC that focuses on teamwork and shared leadership, rather than traditional top-down research models based on Team Convening principles developed by Liverpool University's Thrive project.
Kirsti Bohata, Professor of English at Swansea University, who led the bid, said: “I’m thrilled to be working with such a talented group of researchers and societal partners. This project shows how the arts and humanities can address big challenges and improve lives. It’s exciting to be one of the first teams funded through this bold new scheme from the AHRC.
Carwyn Davies of Hacer Developments said: “The Biophilic Living project is a truly unique initiative that has the potential to transform how we shape our urban environments. By placing health, wellbeing, and sustainability at the heart of the concept, we aim to create spaces that are not only functional but also nurturing for those who live and work in them. This award marks a significant endorsement of the vision and potential impact of biophilic living. The opportunities it creates for innovation, collaboration, and long-term positive change cannot be overstated.”
Andrew Stevens, Swansea Council cabinet member for environment and infrastructure, said: "We're pleased to support this exciting project. Biome – the living building - will be an inspirational location for the people who will live and work there. It's a great example of how Swansea's council-led £1bn regeneration is progressing at pace with a strong focus on green innovation"
Andrew Vye, Executive Director for Customer and Communities – Pobl Group said: “The process behind developing this research program has already begun to highlight improved ways for academia and industry to investigate social and cultural changes. Biome is a world leading building, right here in Swansea, it is perfect timing for AHRC to offer this level of investment so that, as a Sector and society we can improve our knowledge and share learning, enabling increased nature recovery in urban spaces”
Fran Rolfe, green infrastructure specialist for Natural Resources Wales said: “This is a truly exciting and inspiring project to be part of and one that Natural Resources Wales (NRW) looks forward to playing a role in. I’m a strong advocate for anything that can bring people and nature closer together in our urban areas such as Swansea City Centre and I’m confident the Biome case study will bring the city closer to being a sponge assisting with reduction of flooding and encouraging biodiversity.”
Associate Professor Luci Attala, Deputy Executive Director UNESCO-MOST BRIDGES Global Coalition, UWTSD said "Retrofitting for the Future is a thrilling step forward, perfectly aligned with the UNESCO-MOST BRIDGES principles and ambitions, which champion a bold vision for socially, culturally and ecologically sustainable urban development. This isn’t just about reshaping cities, it’s about reimagining how we live in them, both structurally and emotionally. With a strong focus on co-creation and lived experience, we’re ensuring that the voices of residents, creatives and communities are front and centre in shaping the future of urban life. This project is not just a blueprint for retrofitting buildings; it’s an exciting opportunity to transform our relationships with nature, each other and the systems that govern us."
Blanche Cameron, Associate Professor of Environmental Design at The Bartlett School of Architecture, UCL said "As the climate and ecological crises deepen, studying the Biome is a real opportunity to understand how to overcome the challenges of greening cities, and work with nature to improve people's lives, in so many ways. Cities everywhere need more wildlife habitats like green roofs, rain gardens and biodiverse green spaces to soak up the rain and keep people cool in the heat, along with the jobs to design, install and care for them. I'm looking forward to seeing the practical applications and impacts of the work to help the built environment and other sectors support the global movement for more biodiverse, climate-resilient and equitable places for everyone."
OVERVIEW
Project duration: 1st May 2025 – 30th April 2029
Total Project Budget: £3M over 4 years
University Partners: Swansea University (lead university), University of Wales Trinity Saint David (UWTSD) and University College London (UCL).
Societal Co-Leads: City and County of Swansea Council, Hacer Developments Ltd, Natural Resources Wales, Pobl Group
Societal Partners (including advisory roles) include: Arts Council of Wales, Blake Morgan, Bridgman & Bridgman, Emergence, European Federation of Green Roof and Living Wall Associations – EFB, Future Generations Commissioner for Wales, Gower College Swansea, Hywel Dda University Health Board, Inner Development Goals, Public Health Wales, Purposeful Places, St. Helen’s Primary School, Swansea Bay City Deal, Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi, The Biophilic Institute, The Green Infrastructure Consultancy, UNESCO-MOST BRIDGES, Urban Foundry, West Glamorgan Regional Partnership Board, Ysgol Gynradd Gymraeg Bryn y Môr, Jane Davidson, UWTSD, Joanne Patterson Cardiff University, Carolyn Hayles, Cardiff Metropolitan University.
IN THE MEDIA:
Swansea's Former Woolworths Building at Centre of £3m Research Project