Brighton’s Wild House offers radical blueprint for sustainable social housing and policy reform

Built entirely from locally sourced materials, the Wild House demonstrates how housing can exist in harmony with the local landscape and support biodiversity, while enhancing human well-being and fostering community engagement.

With one in five people in the UK living in areas deprived of green space, the pioneering project showcases how biodiversity-friendly materials can be used in social housing at scale – providing a blueprint for policymakers and housing providers while reconnecting people to the ecosystems they impact.

The Wild House is an evolution of the multi award-winning Waste House at the University of Brighton’s City campus, repurposed into a pioneering sustainable ‘show home.’ 

From walls crafted with Brighton’s natural chalk to timber sourced from nearby woodlands, every element strengthens the bond between people and the landscapes around them.

Alongside its ecological design, the house features interactive elements – including immersive soundscapes and augmented reality experiences – encouraging new ways to engage with the natural world from home.

The project is led by Dr. Nicholas Gant in collaboration with fellow University of Brighton lecturer and researcher James Tooze, and Professor Alice Eldridge from the University of Sussex. Soundcamp CiC and The Brighton and Hove Downs: The Living Coast UNESCO Biosphere region are also key partners, bringing together leading expertise in arts, science, and technology to create a transformative living space.

Inside the Wild House 

Built as a ‘regenerative retrofit’ – a home that not only minimises its environmental impact but actively contributes to nature – visitors can interact with a range of features designed to strengthen the relationship between people and the landscapes that provided the house’s materials:

• A biodiverse timber facade – Built using mixed-species wood, the facade mimics the biodiversity of a healthy woodland and supports local wildlife.

• Woven willow nest and natural textures – A snug shelter made from woven willow, a hay window shutter, and a heather lamp create tactile experiences that bring nature indoors.

• Fossil-phone – A sound link from a chalk dew pond at the Waterhall rewilding site, allowing guests to hear live sounds of photosynthesis, frogs, and toads transmitted directly to the house’s chalk wall.

• Dawn-chorus bed and pillow – A morning wake-up call featuring the birdsong from the same woodland that provided the timber for the bed frame.

• Kitchen cupboard portal – Augmented reality binoculars allow users to ‘see through’ a cupboard into a panoramic woodland landscape, observing real-time ecological changes.

Engaging communities and shaping the future

The University of Brighton is now inviting housing providers, social housing residents, and policymakers to explore the Wild House and help reimagine how homes can foster stronger connections to nature.

The space will also host a series of public and student workshops, school visits, DIY kits, and co-design sessions – inviting communities to contribute to this vision of sustainable living. 

Dr. Nicholas Gant, Principal Lecturer at the University of Brighton’s School of Art and Media and Co-Director of The Centre of Arts and Wellbeing, said: “Our Wild House is a testament to the power of design in shaping the way we live with and within nature. It’s a collaborative experiment in reconnecting people with the ecological systems that sustain us. By embedding regenerative materials and interactive, sensory experiences into everyday living, we are rethinking what a home can be.

The Wild House demonstrates that sustainable housing isn’t just about reducing harm; it’s about creating spaces that actively contribute to biodiversity, well-being, and a deeper sense of place. We hope this project inspires new ways of thinking about how we build and inhabit homes, making sustainability an integral part of everyday life.”

This initiative reflects the University of Brighton’s commitment to sustainability and its ongoing work in developing innovative, nature-led solutions that benefit both people and planet.

By exploring new ways to integrate nature into the built environment, the university continues to drive meaningful change in sustainable living.

The Wild House is funded by The Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) and the Ecological Citizen(s) Network+.