Episode Details

As Biophilic Design continues to gather momentum around the world, much of the conversation has centred on research emerging from Europe, North America and Australia. Yet one of the most powerful perspectives may come from a continent where living with nature has never been considered a design trend at all.

For Wangui Mwangi, Founding Chair of the Green Biophilic Living Society and Convener of the Africa Biophilic Building Conference & Expo 2026, biophilia is less about innovation than remembering. 

"Africa has always lived biophilically. Our ancestors have always lived biophilically."

Wangui believes the rest of the world has much to learn from centuries of indigenous knowledge, vernacular architecture and cultural traditions that have always recognised humanity as part of nature rather than separate from it.

Speaking on the Journal of Biophilic Design podcast, she describes traditional African settlements where buildings were constructed using local materials, courtyards encouraged natural ventilation, communities lived outdoors, and architecture reflected both ecological intelligence and spiritual connection.

"Nature was never separate from humanity," she explains. "Nature was part of everything that we did."

That philosophy extended far beyond buildings. Food, farming, storytelling, music, clothing and community life all reinforced a reciprocal relationship with the natural world.

Today, as cities across Africa expand rapidly, Wangui believes those principles are becoming more important than ever.

Remembering rather than reinventing

One of the most refreshing aspects of Wangui's work is her refusal to romanticise the past.

"This is not about necessarily going back to building how we built in the 20s," she says. "It's about picking the techniques. It's about using the tech that we have right now and enhancing that."

This blend of indigenous wisdom with contemporary innovation sits at the heart of the Green Biophilic Living Society, an organisation that has grown remarkably quickly since Wangui first began sharing her passion for biophilia on LinkedIn. After growing up surrounded by wildlife on the outskirts of Nairobi, Wangui found herself working within increasingly urban environments. She noticed she felt calmer whenever she escaped into nearby green spaces during lunch breaks. "I started Googling what is going on? Why are my afternoons better?" Discovering the science of biophilia gave language to feelings she had always understood instinctively. "I became completely passionate, obsessively passionate about wanting to share this information."