Imagining Biophilic Futures at the Climate Science Fiction Symposium
5th August 2026
Project REPAIR researcher Dr Chris Pak (Swansea University) recently presented at the Climate Science Fiction Symposium, hosted by the Zurich Science Fiction Network. The symposium brought together researchers from a range of disciplines to explore how speculative storytelling can help people imagine and respond to future environmental challenges.
Chris's presentation, ‘Imagining Biophilic Design: Telling Stories about the Future of Sustainable Architecture,’ showcased the innovative work being undertaken through REPAIR's Reflection (Futuring) Thread. It explored how storytelling can encourage people to imagine alternative futures and stimulate new conversations about sustainable architecture, biophilic living and climate resilience.
The presentation introduced Project REPAIR's transdisciplinary approach, bringing together expertise from the arts, humanities, environmental sciences and social sciences centred around the Biome, Swansea’s pioneering biophilic retrofit.
Chris explained how the project's six interconnected research threads work together to explore not only how biophilic environments perform, but also how they are experienced, interpreted and understood by the people who design, build, inhabit and interact with them.
A central focus of the presentation was REPAIR's community futuring workshops, where participants are invited to imagine future Swansea through speculative storytelling and creative activities. Rather than attempting to predict the future, these workshops encourage participants to reflect on the choices being made today and to consider the kinds of places they would like future generations to inherit.
Chris also demonstrated how speculative storytelling can create space for exploring different possibilities for biophilic living. By developing imaginative future scenarios, participants are encouraged to question assumptions, explore alternative perspectives, and think creatively about how people, nature and the built environment might coexist in more sustainable ways.
The presentation highlighted the important contribution that arts and humanities research can make to discussions about climate adaptation and urban regeneration. By combining creative methods with transdisciplinary research, Project REPAIR is helping to develop new ways of imagining, discussing, and shaping healthier, more resilient and nature-connected futures.