What Has Eco-Engineering Got to Do with the NHS?

When most people think of eco-engineering, they picture structures designed to help wildlife: habitats built into seawalls, green roofs that slow stormwater, or textured surfaces that invite biodiversity back to places it’s been lost or never stood a chance to take a hold in the first place. What’s less obvious, but no less important, is the effect that these same processes can have on us.

At Artecology, we’ve always argued that ecology and human health are inseparable, and our CoCreate workshops put that into practice. Artecology CoCreate is about building better habitats, and it’s about creating space for people to connect, reflect, and contribute to something bigger than themselves.

That’s where the NHS comes in. The 5 Steps to Mental Wellbeing, developed by NHS England, offer a framework for how small actions can improve our health and resilience. When we worked with our friends at City Arts Portsmouth CIC to deliver CoCreate sessions, those steps came alive in unexpected ways. Participants’ reflections captured in the infographic above show how an eco-engineering workshop can also become a wellbeing session.

There’s something unusual here, and we think it’s worth dwelling on. Eco-engineering is often presented as a technical fix: concrete mixes, tidal flows, biodiversity indices, but when the process is collaborative and creative, it also works on another level… it nurtures belonging, it restores perspective, and it makes space for joy, for connection, and imagination.

That might not be what you’d expect from a field better known for breakwaters and sea defences, but it’s at the heart of our approach. For us, eco-engineering should never be just about the mechanics of the built environment. We think it’s about creating intentional habitats for wildlife, yes, but also for ourselves.

So when we ask, “What has eco-engineering got to do with the NHS?”….the answer is: more than you might think!