SpaceInvader joins the conversation on the Future of Biophilic Design at Clerkenwell Design Week 2026
Sarah Dabbs, Studio Operations Director, SpaceInvader
As Clerkenwell Design Week 2026 gets underway, conversations around biophilic design, wellbeing and the future of commercial interiors are continuing to evolve beyond aesthetics alone.
On Thursday 21 May, Sarah Dabbs, Studio Operations Director at Manchester interior design studio SpaceInvader, will join the panel Beyond Biophilia: The Next Phase of Nature-Integrated Design as part of Design Dialogues by Design Milk at The Charterhouse during Clerkenwell Design Week.
Hosted by Hannah Rose Feniak, Managing Editor at Architizer, the panel also features John Bushell, Principal at Kohn Pedersen Fox (KPF), and Oliver Heath, Founder of Oliver Heath Design Studio.
The discussion will explore how biophilic and nature-integrated design is becoming more measurable, evidence-led and connected to long-term wellbeing, biodiversity and environmental performance across workplace, hospitality and commercial interior design projects.
Biophilic design has become one of the defining conversations within workplace and hospitality interiors in recent years. However, the discussion is increasingly shifting beyond planting and visual aesthetics toward broader questions around health, neuroarchitecture, resilience and measurable user experience.
The panel will explore how designers can think more critically about the relationship between people and place, examining how commercial interiors can genuinely support focus, wellbeing, cognitive performance and everyday experience rather than simply introducing natural elements as decorative features.
At SpaceInvader, conversations around biophilic and nature-integrated design increasingly influence how the studio approaches workplace, hospitality and public-facing environments, not as standalone sustainability features, but as part of creating spaces that support concentration, social connection, wellbeing and long-term adaptability.
Topics including regenerative landscapes, biodiversity, environmental impact and long-term flexibility are also expected to shape the discussion as designers, architects and developers continue responding to changing expectations around the built environment.
Sarah Dabbs leads SpaceInvader’s sustainability team and brings more than 20 years of experience across interior design, urban design and the wider built environment sector.
As Studio Operations Director at SpaceInvader, Sarah has led a number of major workplace interior design projects across the UK, including schemes for clients such as Domestic & General, Pinsent Masons and Aldermore Bank.
Alongside project delivery, Sarah regularly contributes to wider industry conversations around sustainability, workplace wellbeing and the future of commercial interior design through panel discussions, editorial features and thought leadership.
Clerkenwell Design Week remains one of the UK’s leading commercial interior design and architecture festivals, bringing together designers, architects, brands and industry specialists from across workplace, hospitality, retail and public sector design.
This year’s programme continues to explore how the built environment is responding to changing expectations around wellbeing, sustainability, inclusivity, neurodiversity and environmental impact.
The Beyond Biophilia: The Next Phase of Nature-Integrated Design panel takes place on Thursday 21 May 2026 from 14:00–15:00 at The Charterhouse as part of Design Dialogues by Design Milk.
Book your place and join the conversation at Clerkenwell Design Week 2026.