Oliver Heath Design

Oliver Heath Design Oliver Heath Design is a sustainable architecture and interior design practice focused on improving

Last week Oliver was at the Arup UK HQ to deliver a CPD talk on biophilic design, with a specific focus on neuroinclusiv...
13/05/2026

Last week Oliver was at the Arup UK HQ to deliver a CPD talk on biophilic design, with a specific focus on neuroinclusive spaces. The session was screened live to Arup teams around the world, which made for a genuinely interesting room.

There was real appetite in the discussion afterwards, not just curiosity about our expanded approach to delivering biophilia as a concept, but practical questions about how it applies when you’re designing for a wider range of neurological profiles. That’s where the conversation is heading, and it’s good to see it being taken seriously at this level.

If you’d like Oliver to deliver something similar for your team, or want to talk through how biophilic and neuroinclusive thinking could apply to your building or project, get in touch. We also have free guides on the subject available to download, drop the comment ‘Guide’ below and we will send the link.

- we design places where people thrive

12/05/2026

Oliver Heath breaks down why fractal patterns, the geometry nature keeps repeating, can have such a calming, restorative and revitalising effect on us.

George Sunderland’s Ponderlings wallpaper captures it beautifully. It is modelled on a wildlife pond, that kind of slow, layered scene your eye moves across without any effort. Installed at The Rock Bank café at RHS Chelsea Flower Show, it does exactly what good biophilic design should. It quietly changes how a space feels with science backed positive impacts for the people occupying the space.

- Biophilic designers - we design places where people thrive

- Ponderlings wallpaper design

- the RHS Chelsea Flower Show 19-23rd May 2026

05/05/2026

Which view restores you? Makes your shoulders drop and allows you to breathe again.

Sky, ocean, trees, nature, street life, or even a wall is fine... (I face inward to focus)?

Having a view, even a partial one, reduces cognitive fatigue. But what view actually restores you? Let us know in the comments below ⬇


We design with nature to support wellbeing, neuroinclusion and business performance.

If you’re out walking this weekend, notice how it feels. That’s the point.Fractal patterns in the canopy. Light shifting...
01/05/2026

If you’re out walking this weekend, notice how it feels. That’s the point.

Fractal patterns in the canopy. Light shifting through the layers. The ground soft underfoot. This is a multi-sensory experience, and your nervous system knows it even when your brain is still catching up.

This is exactly what we’re trying to bring into buildings. Not just the bright, open spaces, but the darker corners too, the ones people actually spend their days in.

So remember, the chores can wait, get outside.

And next week, try a walking meeting. Ten minutes on a set route. It’s one of the simplest biophilic strategies we recommend, and it genuinely shifts how people think and connect.

Were you in the room this weekend? ✨🌎The ‘In Awe of Nature’ panel at the Earth & Eye Weekender was something special. Ho...
28/04/2026

Were you in the room this weekend? ✨🌎
The ‘In Awe of Nature’ panel at the Earth & Eye Weekender was something special.

Hosted at POST Creatives in Hove, Oliver led a brilliant conversation with Vanessa Rowlands, Pooran Desai, Finn Hopson and Nicoleta Carpineanu on ecology, the built environment, and the arts.

One thing came through loud and clear, photography and film can do so much more than document.

Nature imagery draws people into conversations not through data, but through feeling. When an image lands, people react, share, and talk. That’s where real engagement starts.

There was also a great point about scale, local issues, global reach. And the neuroscience backs it up: looking at nature has measurable effects on people, which matters hugely for anyone in design, development or building management.

What moment stuck with you? Drop it in the comments ⬇️


Most design studios will tell you what they do. Fewer can tell you why it works. At Oliver Heath Design, we don’t lead w...
22/04/2026

Most design studios will tell you what they do. Fewer can tell you why it works. At Oliver Heath Design, we don’t lead with aesthetics. We lead with evidence, research that connects the built environment to how people actually feel, think, and behave inside it.

Biophilic design isn’t a trend we’ve adopted. It’s a discipline we’ve spent years building a rigorous, strategic practice around, one that follows the full RIBA stages, from early strategy through to completion.

The questions driving our work aren’t decorative ones. They’re human ones. Does this space reduce stress or create it? Does it help people focus, or fragment their attention? Does it make someone feel welcome or like an afterthought? When those questions are answered well, the results show up in occupant wellbeing, in productivity, in retention, in the simple fact that people want to be in a space and keep coming back to it.

That’s what we build towards.

Environments that are inclusive, restorative, and genuinely fit for the people who use them. If you’re at the early stages of a project and want to understand what evidence-based biophilic design could mean for your brief, we’d be glad to talk.



Some key takes from the panel Oliver joined for the 25th anniversary of Plants At Work .The panel brought together voice...
18/03/2026

Some key takes from the panel Oliver joined for the 25th anniversary of Plants At Work .The panel brought together voices from across the industry to explore how plants and nature‑inspired design are shaping the future workplace. Each perspective shows how much people value spaces that support wellbeing, autonomy and a sense of belonging.

Featuring insights from:
Oliver Heath
Richard Sabin
Thomas Palfreyman
Kenneth Freeman
Vanessa Champion PhD

In the discussion we heard:
• Workplaces now have to earn the commute by supporting focus, connection and restoration.
• Nature is still too often treated as optional, even though the benefits are well‑established.
• People notice when planting is taken away and they want it back.
• Choice over where and how to work matters just as much as the environment itself.
• Plants communicate values. They help organisations show they care about people and the planet.

Swipe through to read more of our panel highlights.


“The office is becoming a culture engine, not a container…”. Jo Baston, Spatial Design Strategist, Oliver Heath Design, ...
04/03/2026

“The office is becoming a culture engine, not a container…”. Jo Baston, Spatial Design Strategist, Oliver Heath Design, shares highlights from Workspace Design Show London that point to a clear shift in workplace thinking.

These included trust over presenteeism and experience over pure aesthetics. Reuse being chosen over replacement, decisions being shaped by data and AI seen as an enabler rather than a designer.

These themes reflect what we’re hearing from clients too: workplaces need to support people, purpose and performance in equal measure.

Do you agree? If you attended, what were your key takeaways?

– We design spaces where people thrive & businesses flourish.



acoustic

03/03/2026

We need this 🪻. Nature heals through the senses. Medicinal and aromatic plants do more than scent a space. They calm the nervous system, support focus and connect us to long traditions of health and care.

Designing with nature means engaging smell, touch and sight to support wellbeing every day.

Today is which is focusing on aromatic and medicinal plants, conserving health, heritage and livelihoods.

For The Garden School, design plays a quiet but vital role in supporting children’s mental health. This project focused ...
09/02/2026

For The Garden School, design plays a quiet but vital role in supporting children’s mental health. This project focused on the design of a recuperation space for pupils aged 4 to 16 with SEND, creating calm, legible spaces shaped by daylight, natural materials and clear sensory cues.

The aim was to reduce anxiety, support emotional regulation and help children feel safe, settled and ready to learn.

During Children’s Mental Health Week, it is worth remembering that wellbeing is shaped not only by care and education, but also by the spaces children experience every day.

More details on our approach for this project can be found on the website

Address

Heath Design Ltd. 55 Upper North Street
Brighton And Hove
BN13FH

Opening Hours

Monday 9am - 5pm
Tuesday 9am - 5pm
Wednesday 9am - 5pm
Thursday 9am - 5pm
Friday 9am - 5pm

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+441273326031

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