Studio Knight Stokoe, Exploration Architecture, Jamie Fobert Architects, Studio Bark, Digg & Co, and New-works share examples of where they have considered nature in decision making.
Co-evolving with nature
Responses to the practice questions were assessed by Architects Declare members Carrie Behar, Laura Baron, Tom Gibson, Kevin Logan, Anna Pamphilon, Kat Scott, and Jacqueline Wheeler, with expert input from RAI ambassador Phoebe Tickell – renegade scientist, systems thinker and social entrepreneur.
Practice Question 2
Can the practice share examples where it has considered nature in decision making? For example, by having a nature proxy to encourage ecocentric decision making, using natural systems as inspiration for the company structure, recognising the seasonal nature of people’s capacity and workload, or celebrating equinoxes and solstices together.
Front-runners
Studio Knight Stokoe
Our practice demonstrates nature-centred decision making in several ways. As a Certified B Corporation, we’ve amended our Articles of Association to include society and nature as essential stakeholders in all operations and decisions. This commitment to eco-centric values is deeply ingrained in our practices.
We recognise the importance of aligning with natural rhythms in both our design work and studio culture. Our flexible working policy accommodates employees’ individual life rhythms through a four-day working week, remote working options, and consideration for circadian rhythms and seasonal variations. We create a more sustainable and harmonious environment by respecting personal needs and fostering optimal work-life balance.
In our projects, we advocate for a ‘Nature Champion’ who functions at a higher project level as a key stakeholder; questioning and considering the potential positive and negative implications of various design decisions. We believe that protecting the environment begins with practicing what we preach.
Exploration Architecture
We have started the process of appointing nature to the board as a non executive director, following protocols developed and shared by the company Faith in Nature. Our long-term purpose is to be co-enablers of the flourishing of all life for all time and to work towards restoring planetary health. Having nature on the board, we believe, will enhance our performance. We also represent nature in the design process by regularly asking questions like, “What would other species want from this project?” or “What would this landscape look like if it were fully self-expressed?”
Our business plan was developed using biomimetic principles. By translating all the common functions of a business (for instance publicity, ideas generation, training, etc.) into biological equivalents (for instance signalling, fertilisation/mutation/variation, and adapting/evolving) it’s often possible to arrive at innovative approaches.
Runners-up
Jamie Fobert Architects
We have formally recognised nature and the environment as an Interested Party within the organisation. This means we are required to identify the needs and expectations of the natural world in relation to the company and to regularly evaluate whether we are meeting these requirements. We take seriously the responsibility this places on us and aim to uphold our commitments with integrity and care.
We also support our employees and their individual circumstances through flexible working arrangements, including work-from-home allowances and reduced hours for those with childcare responsibilities. In this way, we aim to recognise and accommodate the changing capacities of our team. Socially, we like to mark the changing seasons with summer garden parties and cosy winter feasts.
Studio Bark
At Studio Bark, nature is foundational to our identity and choices. Our name, ‘Bark’, reflects this ethos, evoking the essential, life-giving layer of a tree. The first core value of our business plan is ‘Planet: staying below the ecological ceiling’, guided by the nine planetary boundaries. Our projects are always informed by nature. At Breach House, we drew inspiration from water on site, using this context to create a positive impact – reducing flood surges, providing filtration, and enriching ecology. We design for ‘more than human’ populations, providing habitats for wildlife, such as birds, bees and bats. We’re deeply aware of how nature shapes our team’s wellbeing, creativity, and capacity. We’ve designed nature into our working environment – choosing a studio near Victoria Park to encourage outdoor lunchtime walks – prioritising natural daylight, minimising noise pollution, and active transport options. We operate a nine-day fortnight, promoting rest and time spent beyond the screen.
Ones to watch
Digg & Co
Our setting at Mill Barton Farm allows us to stay intimately connected to the rhythms of the land. This proximity shapes how we work: we observe and respect seasonal cycles, not only in ecology but in human energy and attention. We recognise that people, like landscapes, move through periods of intensity and rest – and we structure our workflow accordingly. We avoid forcing productivity in deep winter, and we embrace renewal and outward energy in spring and summer. We also gather as a team to mark seasonal transitions – celebrating equinoxes and solstices with shared meals, outdoor rituals, or collaborative planting days. These moments root us in time and remind us that we’re part of a larger, living system. We prioritise slow, reflective decision making over reactive pace, often asking, “What would nature do here?” before choosing a path forward.
New-works
We have shortened the working day to 10am-5pm with an hour before and after for individual physical and mental wellbeing. The time at work is then split into mornings for deep work away from phones and emails, shared lunch, and the afternoon for communication. We believe this aligns with our bodies’ natural mental and physical circadian rhythms. Our working day of seven hours aligns with the shortest day of the year, which is seven hours and 49 minutes.