{"id":4587,"date":"2026-09-28T15:24:28","date_gmt":"2026-09-28T13:24:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.citysenslab.com\/social-impact-in-biophilic-design\/"},"modified":"2026-09-28T15:24:28","modified_gmt":"2026-09-28T13:24:28","slug":"social-impact-in-biophilic-design","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.citysenslab.com\/en\/social-impact-in-biophilic-design\/","title":{"rendered":"Social impact in biophilic design: inclusive, local manufacturing"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
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Social impact in biophilic design: inclusive, local manufacturing<\/b><\/h1>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t
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Design is also deciding how and with whom we manufacture<\/b><\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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When we talk about a product’s impact, we usually think first of its materials, durability or the resources needed to make it.<\/p>

But there is another equally important question:<\/p>

Who takes part in that process?<\/b><\/p>

At CitySens Lab<\/b><\/a> we want the positive impact of our products to go beyond the recycled materials<\/a> or the plants we bring into spaces.<\/p>

That is why part of the manufacturing process is carried out in collaboration with Fundaci\u00f3 Estela<\/b>, a Tarragona organisation that promotes the personal development and social inclusion of people with intellectual disabilities through educational, residential and occupational services.<\/p>

The result is a production chain in which design, local manufacturing and social impact are part of the same product<\/b>.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t

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Social impact is part of manufacturing<\/b><\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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The recycled panels from which we build our biophilic systems pass through Fundaci\u00f3 Estela’s workshops before becoming the final product.<\/p>

There, the pieces are prepared: sanding, polishing, varnishing and drilling the holes needed for assembly.<\/b><\/p>

These are not side tasks outside production. They are necessary steps to turn recycled boards into components ready to become furniture.<\/p>

So social impact does not appear once the product is finished. It is created while we make it.<\/b><\/p>

This way of working also reflects CitySens Lab’s commitment to the social economy and to involving social organisations in manufacturing and handling its products.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t

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Real work within a real production chain<\/b><\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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For us, it matters that the collaboration is directly linked to what we make.<\/p>

The people who work at Fundaci\u00f3 Estela handle pieces that will become part of a planter, a green divider or a piece of furniture installed in an office, a hotel, a care home or another shared space.<\/p>

The Foundation runs occupational activities adapted to each person’s abilities, aimed at fostering autonomy and social and professional inclusion.<\/p>

This connects two realities that are often presented separately: making a product and the social impact of how it is made<\/b>.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t

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Local production with nearby impact<\/b><\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Our collaboration with Fundaci\u00f3 Estela also has a local dimension.<\/p>

The Foundation works in Tarragona and has spent more than four decades improving the social inclusion of people with intellectual disabilities in the region.<\/p>

Working close by lets us know exactly who takes part in each stage and maintain a close relationship with the organisations in our production chain.<\/p>

For us, manufacturing locally is not only about shorter distances.<\/p>

It is also about creating value in the territory and building a network of collaboration around what we design<\/b>.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t

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Designing spaces with an impact beyond the space itself<\/b><\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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CitySens Lab products are designed to bring nature into offices<\/a>, hotels<\/a>, care homes<\/a> and other shared spaces, and to improve how we experience them.<\/p>

But we want their impact to start before they reach the project.<\/p>

In the materials we recover.<\/p>

In the manufacturing processes we carry out locally.<\/p>

And in the people who help prepare each piece.<\/p>

That is why we understand responsible design broadly: it is not only about what we design<\/b>, but also how and with whom we do it<\/b>.<\/p>

Our collaboration with Fundaci\u00f3 Estela is part of that approach. Learn more about how we design in The laboratory<\/a>.<\/p>

Because a product’s impact is also built before it is installed<\/b>.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t

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Keep reading<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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