What is Arc Biodiversity & Climate?

We are based in the Isle of Wight UNESCO Biosphere Reserve, one of only 3 in England, and our expertise in research, design, craft, consultation, education and training has grown around the priorities of the 17 UN Sustainable Development Goals, and the global imperatives of ecological, cultural and social health.

We have created the Shaping Better Places framework to bring these areas of work together into one practical and effective tool for change, guiding transformative choices, and boosting performance against essential measures of success for business, NGOs, local authorities, communities and social enterprise.

Through Artecology R&D, we handcraft intentional habitats that blend functionality and aesthetics, attractive to both people and wildlife. With experts in ecology, sociology, heritage, and culture, we facilitate transformative journeys, reimagining and redesigning places and systems.

The Shaping Better Places Framework

Every Building is a Habitat and Every Urban Space is an Ecosystem

Revive urban environments, greenspace, streetscapes and wetlands, with architecture and landscaping that provides lifecycle resources where wildlife can breed, feed, roost and overwinter.

Act vertically as well as horizontally, from underground to high-rise, enhancing buildings and infrastructure with patterns of ecologically functional nooks, niches and patches.

Construct rapid ecological change by spacing clusters of enriched habitats within the distances of wildlife movement, linking urban buildings, parks and gardens in new biological networks.

Outdoor Spaces are Measured by the Life they Offer

Redesign the public realm to make everyday and unplanned encounters more likely, between people and people, and people and wildlife, fostering new collaborations and expediting positive events.

Designate new traditions and new sacred spaces, making it as easy as possible for local people to participate in the shared life of their community, conscious of a common future.

Enrich the spaces and places between buildings by bringing together information, orientation, seating, art and habitat in arrangements that encourage people to dwell, explore and return.

Each Place has its own Story to tell, and Every Story is Equal

Find what is already in place, local spaces of importance, knowledge, experience, and ambition; use these resources to protect the value of the past and grow new expectations for the future.

Celebrate local distinctiveness, reveal the sense of a place through the full expression of its personality, the detail of its built, human and natural characteristics.

Expand learning networks connecting local people and projects, freely share information in a growing body of knowledge that breaks down paywalls and protects common ground.