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kyu House Returns for London Climate Action Week

What happened when kyu House landed at Herbal House.

A group of people sit and listen near a large sign reading KYU HOUSE at London Climate Action Week with layered yellow, blue, and red shapes, in a bright room with large windows and green plants.
All photos by Aurelia Banks for kyu House.

Published

Topic

Health, Collaboration, Sustainability

Companies

IDEO, SYPartners, Lexington, Gehl, ATÖLYE

Wednesday, June 26 was the U.K.’s hottest day of 2024 to date. Uncanny timing for the kyu House pop-up at London Climate Action Week.

At IDEO’s cool (in more ways than one) fifth-floor offices in Clerkenwell, kyu Collective companies including IDEO, Lexington, Gehl hosted dynamic workshops and an evening reception.

When guests arrived, their route took them past a poster with a message that resonated throughout the day: ​“80% of health outcomes are driven by non-clinical factors, and 10% of resource usage originates from care environments.”

Participants were drawn in by this iteration of kyu House’s big question: Can we thrive if our planet is sick? For many, the intersection of the planet’s health and the health of humans was a novel combination. By day’s end, attendees were jumping across an imaginary line on the floor, and grabbing the roving mic to share their views on everything from sweet vs. savory to AI.

The kyu Collective champions the power of collective creativity, and kyu House’s activities generated a host of fresh ideas that motivated participants to act long after the pop-up’s conclusion.

A group of people sit around tables engaged in discussion and taking notes during a collaborative workshop. A screen reads “Time to Share” and colorful posters and papers are visible on the tables and walls.
IDEO’s interactive workshop.

SESSION RECAP

First Mile Health for People and Planet

IDEO kicked off with an interactive workshop aimed at stretching attendees’ brains in new directions. 

IDEO’s executive director of climate, Sergio Fregoni, asked: ​“What would a healthcare system look like if you kept human and planetary health in balance?”

In the boardroom, IDEO laid out their new board game. Each group was given a scenario, either ​“Local communities are flourishing” or ​“Relationships are the center of everything.” Groups were asked to imagine niche elements of the world in 2044.

A group of people watch a man spinning a pointer on a tabletop wheel with text sections, in a modern, casual office setting. Everyone is wearing name tags and appears engaged in the activity.
A person holding several yellow cards with words like Outsourcing and Self-Ex printed on them, sitting at a table with papers, a glass of water, and another person visible in the background.
Attendees participated in various activities during the IDEO session.

Participants were impressed with the unexpected directions the groups took. ​“IDEO makes people uncomfortable and makes us think deeper,” said Gabriele Verikaite of The Mills Fabrica of the session, ​“They make you more prone to tap into different oceans of what-ifs.”

Anna Yalouris from the Busara Center for Behavioral Economics backed this up, adding: ​“We tend to look to economics first, instead of looking at a nature-based understanding of our world. But lessons from nature have lessons for the built environment.”

Two women sit at a table with a laptop, papers, and glasses of water, speaking during a presentation. Behind them, colorful slides with images and text are displayed on two large screens.
From left: Lexington’s Alison Woodhouse and Felicity Haslehurst.

SESSION RECAP

Patient-centric Collaboration for a Healthier Climate

Lexington directors Felicity Haslehurst and Alison Woodhouse were keen to expose the uncomfortable dynamic between patients and planet. Their question: Given the compelling evidence that climate change will intensify negative health outcomes, how do we unlock the role of patients in driving climate-positive outcomes faster and at a greater scale?

Lexington’s research suggests there is room for greater patient engagement with these issues. By reducing the healthcare system’s environmental impact, we can help reduce extreme weather conditions and improve people’s health. But should patients be expected to push for their treatment to be more sustainable? 

Or as one participant put it: ​“Do you want to live another six months, or save the planet?”

Max Hannon, medical device designer at Apiject, pointed out that the consumer-focused narrative around sustainability doesn’t always fit with the healthcare sector. Single-use syringes are a good thing, whereas single-use plastics in food packaging are taboo. So what’s the definition of sustainability in healthcare?

Ultimately, patients have a valuable role. As one participant said: ​“When patients are given a platform to talk about their experience, they can be hugely powerful.”

Two musicians perform indoors; one plays a keyboard while the other plays an acoustic guitar. They sit by large windows, with bookshelves, a plant, and a colorful sign reading KYU HOUSE in the background.
A group of people socialize and converse at an indoor networking event, gathered around a table with snacks and drinks. The atmosphere is casual and lively, with people standing and mingling throughout the space.

RECEPTION RECAP

An Evening of Connection

What’s a party without a party game? Participants in the evening’s Creative Tensions exercise were asked to pick one side or the other of a virtual line on the floor. Glasses in hand, guests good-humouredly jostled for position, responding to questions such as ​“Savory or sweet?” and the more taxing ​“Answers to these problems will come from AI or humans?” The latter won hands-down.

During a ​“Fireside Chat,” Rebecca Morley, founder of Rebecca Morley Consulting, and Gehl’s chief innovation officer Jeff Risom talked about myths around climate and health. 

“We’re well-intentioned people here. How could we be more impactful?” asked Risom. 

Morley, whose company helps individuals and organizations make large-scale changes to the places where people live, focused on air quality in particular, sharing a news clip of South Bronx activists who put air quality monitors on buildings to help change policy.

For Morley, the unintended consequence of our negative messages about the environmental crisis is that ​“children think they can die from climate change. We should also talk about the solutions.” Good news has a vital role in solving the problems we face.

A group of people attends an indoor discussion; two speakers sit at the front while participants in the audience raise their hands to ask questions. Sunlight streams through large windows on the right.
A woman holding a microphone speaks while seated next to a man in a casual indoor setting. Both are on stage with colorful banners and a large window in the background.
Gehl’s Jeff Risom and Rebecca Morley talked about climate x health.
Insights From the Day
  • We’re currently in the ​“climate era.” To reverse the impacts of the industrial and digital eras, everything will need to be redesigned. 
  • According to Lexington’s research, older people are more likely to want a healthcare revolution when compared to the younger generation. Why? Because they have more exposure to the health system.
  • When we say ​“patients” we mean ​“people.” We’ll all be patients at some point in our lives.
  • In the U.S., emissions have fallen by 20%, but have these ​“dirty industries” just been outsourced to other countries?
  • The art of play can help us learn and relate to each other. Follow the fun!
A diverse group of people attends a panel discussion in a modern, well-lit room. Five panelists sit on stools at the front, speaking to the audience, while one moderator holds a microphone. KYU HOUSE is displayed on a screen.
ATÖ­LYE and Metabolic hosted an engaging panel.

More From Around kyu House

Metabolic x ATÖLYE: The Missing Trillions

This exclusive event presented the outcomes of working groups tasked with developing actionable, investable strategies to mobilize the critical funding necessary for a sustainable future. 

“We need to be about shifting mindsets from what is plausible to what is possible,” said Kirsten Dunlop (Climate-KIC). ​“We need an imaginative mindset.”

Elevation Barn x SYPartners: Elevating Impact

Attendees engaged in impactful conversations, networking, and a Jefferson-style dinner at this networking event.