The quality of the spaces where we live, work, learn, and interact deeply influences our well-being, behaviours, emotions, and overall quality of life. Recent scientific research has shown that the relationship between people, Nature, and the constructed environment is one of the most critical issues in addressing the challenges of contemporary design.

This awareness is what led to the scientific collaboration between MeM and GREEN LEAF – Groupe de Recherche en Education à l’Environnement et à la Nature, Laboratory of Affective Ecology at the University of Valle d’Aosta, formalised through an agreement aimed at developing joint activities in research, training, and outreach.

A Convergence of research and design

Since its establishment, MeM has fostered an interdisciplinary approach that integrates spatial design, environmental psychology, neuroscience, biophilic design, and human well-being.
Though educational programs, consulting services, and applied research projects, we aim to support professionals, companies, public agencies, and organizations in creating environments capable of meeting people’s physical, psychological, and relational needs.

The partnership with GREEN LEAF—Groupe de Recherche en Education à l’Environnement et à la Nature, represents a step forward in this journey, strengthening the dialogue between the academic world and professional practice while creating new opportunities for the development of action research, experimentation, and the transfer of scientific knowledge.

Who is GREEN LEAF

GREEN LEAF – Groupe de Recherche en Education à l’Environnement et à la Nature, Laboratory of Affective Ecology at the University of Valle d’Aosta, is a research centre which promotes research, university education, continuing education, and scientific outreach on topics such as Nature education, Environmental Psychology, affective ecology, ecopsychology, and the relationship between humans and the environment.

The centre’s activities are focused on gaining an understanding of the processes through which Nature and built environments influence people’s well-being, developing evidence-based tools and methodologies applicable in educational, workplace, healthcare, and residential settings.

Among the researchers and professionals involved in the training activities promoted by MeM are Professor Giuseppe Barbiero, Professor Rita Berto, consulting expert Bettina Bolten, and architect Chiara Marchetti—key figures at the national and international levels in the fields of biophilia, environmental psychology, and biophilic design.

The Objectives of the Collaboration

The agreement was established with the aim of developing joint activities in scientific and applied research, training, outreach, and cultural promotion on topics of shared interest.
The intention is to build an ever-stronger bridge between scientific evidence and design application, contributing to the dissemination of approaches that focus on the relationship between people, Nature, and the human-made environment.
The collaboration will also allow the development of tools, methodologies, and projects aimed at professionals and private companies, as well as public agencies, schools, healthcare organizations, and entities committed to promoting well-being and inclusion.

From scientific research to professional practice

One of the first concrete results of this collaboration is the new training course “Designing in Harmony with Nature – Biophilic Design and Environmental Psychology for Contemporary Design”, developed with the direct contribution of researchers and professionals involved in the center’s activities.

The course was designed with the goal of guiding architects, interior designers, psychologists, and design professionals in understanding the latest scientific evidence on the relationship between people and their environment, while providing practical tools for translating this knowledge into design strategies applicable to various contemporary contexts.

In the coming weeks, we will share the full programme, the schedule, the instructors involved, and all the information needed to participate in this new training programme, created to foster dialogue between scientific research, human well-being, and spatial design.

Looking to the Future

To MeM, this agreement represents much more than a training partnership.

It represents a commitment towards contributing to the development of a design culture grounded in research, multidisciplinarity, and an understanding of people’s needs.

In the coming years, the collaboration with GREEN LEAF – Groupe de Recherche en Education à l’Environnement et à la Nature, Laboratory of Affective Ecology at the University of Valle d’Aosta will give rise to new research, training, and outreach initiatives, to make tools and knowledge capable of improving the quality of spaces—and, consequently, people’s quality of life—increasingly accessible.

Because designing in harmony with Nature means, first and foremost, designing in harmony with the needs of us, humans.