The four-year project ‘Retrofitting for the Future: Nature-Based Solutions for Climate Adaptation’ is one of just three across the UK chosen for funding through AHRC’s (Arts and Humanities Research Council) new Mission Awards.
The project will look at how cities and their citizens can become healthier, greener, and more resilient by building stronger connections with nature. This includes rethinking how we design and reuse buildings and public spaces – bringing in natural elements like plants, water, and daylight to improve wellbeing and support the environment. Nature-based, or ‘biophillic’ design offers a powerful solution to the challenges posed by climate change and nature loss, by improving lives while enhancing biodiversity and restoring connections with nature.
Central to the project is the transformation of a 13-storey building (previously a Woolworths) in Swansea’s city centre into a mixed-use building with affordable and shared ownership housing, retail, low carbon commercial office space as well as community, education and exhibition facilities.
The research has been developed together with local and national partners to make sure it reflects real community needs and experiences. Designed to re-connect people with nature, the project will serve as an example of how old urban spaces can be repurposed to tackle climate change and boost community wellbeing.
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.
The project is also part of a new initiative by the AHRC that focuses on teamwork and shared leadership, rather than traditional top-down research models. It brings together a wide-ranging team from different sectors, including academia, construction, housing, ecology, public health, and the arts. The consortium is led by Swansea University and co-leads are University College London, University of Wales Trinity Saint David, Hacer Developments Ltd, Pobl Group, City and County of Swansea Council and Natural Resources Wales to name a few.
It’s great to be collaborating and co-designing and co-convening with the other academics and societal partners, 52 in all, with much to add to UCL's knowledge and research base.
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