June events for a regenerative + circular + low-carbon future

A lot is happening this month, including the London Festival of Architecture, Scotland’s Architecture Fringe (6-22 June), London Design Biennale (5–23 June) and London Climate Action Week (June 21-29).

Here is a selection of events with a creative take on a regenerative, circular or low-carbon future - all with a few tickets still available.

June 10 - 12

Global Design Forum

King's College London, Strand, London, WC2R 2LS

Click here to find out more and book.

As part of the London Design Biennale programme, from June 10 - 12, don't miss the Global Design Forum's nine talks and panel discussions over three days. The theme is ‘Design and the Invisible’.

How can we dismantle outdated systems and forge radical new ones? Beneath every object, building and space lies an entangled network of invisible forces – financial flows, digital networks, contested borders and unspoken cultural codes that shape lives and govern the world.

On 10 June, Outer Forces explores the extraordinary pressures on designers, featuring sessions "My Generation: can design bridge the age divide?" at 13:30, "Scarcity and Power: The geopolitics of resource extraction" at 16:30, then Kengo Kuma and Leonie Bell in conversation with Will Gompertz at 17:45.

On 11 June, Power Lines tackles the infrastructure governing the flow of money, materials, products and people across the world with the sessions "Glass Walls: Can trust be designed into systems and spaces? " at 13:30, "Who owns ideas? Intellectual property in an age of AI " at 16:30, then Mariana Mazzucato and Gus Casely-Hayford in conversation at 18:00.

On 12 June, Inner Selves examines how design reflects identity with "Hand, Heart, and Machine: craft in an age of automation" at 13:30, "Beyond Borders: Can design heal the rift between global and local?" at 16:30, then Samuel Ross talking to Victoria Broackes at 18:00.

Global Design Forum

As part of the London Design Biennale programme, from 10 - 12 June 2025 the Global Design Forum will host a series of talks and panel discussions at King’s College London, under the title ‘Design and the Invisible’.How can we dismantle outdated systems and forge radical new ones? Join Samuel Ross, Mariana Mazzucato, Kengo Kuma and dozens more of the world’s most exciting designers and thinkers for a series of talks that will rethink the hidden powers shaping our world.Beneath every object, building and space lies an entangled network of invisible forces – financial flows, digital networks, contested borders and unspoken cultural codes that shape lives and govern the world.Inspired by artistic director Samuel Ross’ Biennale theme, Surface Reflections, we pull back the curtain on these unseen drivers of design. Over three days, leading designers, architects, economists, activists and technologists will shine a light on the impulses that come from within us, those that lie outside us and those that connect us, and envisage a future where design’s transformative power is freed from invisible constraints.This edition is supported by our Digital Media Partner,STIR.Book your free place below (please note that the programme is subject to change)DESIGN AND THE INVISIBLE10 June | DAY 1: OUTER FORCESVanishing resources, shifting demographics and material realities – designers today operate against a backdrop of extraordinary external pressure. We confront these seemingly immovable forces, platforming innovators who are not just pushing the limits, but scaling and redefining them.1.30pm: My Generation: can design bridge the age divide? –read more and book4.30pm: Scarcity and Power: The geopolitics of resource extraction –read more and book5.45pm: Kengo Kuma and Leonie Bell in conversation with Will Gompertz –read more and book11 June | DAY 2: POWER LINESRewiring connective networks. The complex web of infrastructure governs the flow of money, materials, products and people across the world. How can we harness these physical and abstract systems – rewire data flows, rethink labour practices, redesign financial rules and rebuild trust – to better serve our needs?1.30pm: Glass Walls: Can trust be designed into systems and spaces? –read more and book4.30pm: Who owns ideas? Intellectual property in an age of AI –read more and book6pm: Mariana Mazzucato in conversation with Gus Casely-Hayford –read more and book12 June | DAY 3: INNER SELVESUnleashing inner impulses. Design is a mirror for our deepest passions, values and instincts – reflecting our identities, cultures and communal ties. We make the intangible tangible – from cultural myth-making to the soul of craft – interrogating how creative minds translate our inner worlds into tangible forms.1.30pm: Hand, Heart and Machine: craft in an age of automation –read more and book4.30pm: Beyond Borders: Can design heal the rift between global and local? –read more and book6pm: Samuel Ross and Victoria Broackes in conversation –read more and book

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June 13 . 12:30 - 14.00 (UK time DST/GMT+1)

Circularity Catalyst: online workshop

Click here to find out more and book.

UK Architects Declare, UK Engineers Declare, and UK Built Environment Declares invite signatories and professionals in the sector to shape their policy research and recommendations.

The built environment’s intensive resource consumption is accelerating climate change and driving biodiversity loss...To achieve meaningful, system-wide transformation, we need a strong policy framework to serve as a catalyst. This event invites practical, forward-thinking solutions to help embed circularity across the built environment.

The online event will explore barriers to circular practices, share examples of successes and challenges, and develop proposals to influence government policy. Attendees will join focused discussions on themes such as procurement, supply chains, data, metrics, and designing for deconstruction, identifying successful practices and needed changes for faster progress.

"Be part of the conversation driving systemic change in the built environment."

Circularity Catalyst: online workshop

Help shape our policy research and recommendations for embedding a circular economy in the built environment.

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June 14 . 11.00 - 14.00 (UK time DST/GMT+1)

Whose cathedrals are we building? Learning from Dalmarnock’s past, present and future.

105 French Street, Glasgow G40 4EH

Click here to find out more and book.

Dalmarnock, like much of Glasgow, has undergone significant changes due to industrialisation, depopulation, and new visions for the future. Using cathedral thinking, discussions will focus on the long-term impact of redevelopment and how past generational shifts have shaped Dalmarnock's architectural and cultural heritage. The event will examine whether multi-generational thinking can foster a just transition and if regenerative development can empower future generations to become custodians of a sustainable built environment.

All Palaces Are Temporary Palaces (Robert Montgomery)

Avoiding climate breakdown will require Cathedral Thinking. We must lay the foundations while we may not know exactly how to build the ceiling (Greta Thunberg)

Hosted by French Street Studios and New Future Construction School in partnership with Architects Declare. This event is twinned with Architects Declare’s ‘Beyond Mythology’ talk being held as part of the London Festival of Architecture on June 5.

Whose cathedrals are we building?

Stories from Dalmarnock to consider whether cathedral thinking could ensure a just and resilient future for the built environment

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June 16 - 20

School of Exchange

Fabwick, 43 Queens Yard, White Post Lane, London, E9 5EN

Click here to find out more.

This series of student-led workshops is a chance to engage with materials, techniques, and ideas rooted in ideas of reciprocity, repair, and reimagining. All sessions are a 'micro-laboratory' where "knowledge is exchanged, cultures cross-pollinate, and the environment becomes both context and collaborator."

On June 16 from 11.00 to 15.00, Living Archives is about soil, "preserving traces of natural processes and human histories within its layered structure". Participants will "engage more deeply with soil as a material and medium while reflecting on its vital, yet often overlooked, role in sustaining ecosystems and human life."

On June 17 from 11.00 to 15.00, Reshaping the Natural explores environmental challenges along the Northeast coast of Kent through the hands-on making of seaweed bricks. Making natural bricks from the excessive accumulation of seaweed in the region is a chance to turn waste into a resource.

On June 18 11.00-15.00, Sowing Seeds connects London and Bangladesh through collaborative fabric-making, climate resilience, and diasporic storytelling. Rooted in the Bangladeshi textile tradition, the project embeds vetiver seeds into discarded fabrics, transforming textile waste into tools for riverbank repair.

On June 19 11.00-15.00, The Light at the End of the Chute// Living Lite considers waste as not just a material problem but a cultural one. Participants will reprocess food packaging into functional, illuminating objects. By melting, braiding, and reshaping, they will create lamps or other small household artefacts.

On June 20 11.00-15.00, the workshops will culminate in an exhibition.

The School of Exchange features Hyeongji Yang, Ceylan Cecen, Alyesha Choudhury, Cassidy Lowe, Madge Jingchu Zhuo, and Liliia Kuksina.

All events are free. Booking is not required.

School of Exchange

This series of student-led workshops explores speculative creative exchanges through hands-on engagement with materials, techniques, and ideas.

Architecture Fringe

June 25 . 9.00 - 11.00 (UK time DST/GMT+1)

Regenerative Futures: Shaping Design for a Resilient Planet

57 Clerkenwell Road, London, EC1M 5NG and online.

Click here to find out more and book.

Join André Aranha Corrêa do Lago, COP30 President, Dr. Paul Toyne, Lindsay Baker, Julia Barfield, Andre Loosemore and Dr. Asif Din for real-world examples of regenerative design. The panel will discuss innovative strategies for net-zero carbon buildings, ecosystem restoration, and sustainable urban development.

"Gain valuable insights from industry leaders as they share how regenerative practices can help create resilient, thriving communities."

Ticket options are available for in-person or online.

Organised by  Grimshaw, Living Future Europe and Architects Declare.

Regenerative Futures: Shaping Design for a Resilient Planet

Engage in a series of short presentations where panelists showcase real-world examples of implementing regenerative design principles.

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June 27 . 13:45 - 19.00 (UK time DST/GMT+1)

Practical Sustainability in Industrial Design

Map Project Office, 1 Saint John's Lane #3rd Floor, London, EC1M 4BL

Click here to find out more and book.

An interactive Design Declares event on practical sustainable design. The event aims to facilitate peer-to-peer learning, identify barriers, and uncover opportunities for progress. Attendees should be designing physical products, have a solid understanding of sustainable design theory, and be committed to its application. In their words, "be ready to engage with new people".

Tickets are just £30 plus booking fees.

Okay, we’re actually doing it! Design Declares: Practical Sustainability… | Tony Elkington | 14 comments

Okay, we’re actually doing it! Design Declares: Practical Sustainability in Industrial Design is happening during London Climate Action Week. 2-6pm on 27th June, hosted in the fantastic space at Map Project Office. We’ll be gathering together a room full of industrial designers for honest conversations about the practical realities of designing more sustainable products - the good, the bad and the “what next”? We’ve got an amazing panel including Chris Sherwin PhD, Jo Barnard, Tom Jarvis, Caroline Jacob, plus the rich breadth of experiences that you guys will be bringing to the discussion! Spaces are limited so if you’re keen to hear some practical advice and help the industry move forward together then go grab your tickets now: https://lnkd.in/d2t7fJ2n | 14 comments on LinkedIn

LinkedInPaul Byass

Practical Sustainability in Industrial Design

We’re gathering industrial designers together to dig into the real-world practicalities of sustainability in physical product development.

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