Commissioned by Earth

In construction and design projects, time, budget and technical feasibility are often decisive factors. But what changes when the Earth, rather than a person or organisation, is considered the client?

The climate crisis, the depletion of natural resources and increasing pressure on ecosystems call for a broader perspective on how we build, design and live together. Sweco therefore wanted to explore how its experts could move beyond short-term economic efficiency and also work from a long-term regenerative perspective — taking into account soil, water, air, biodiversity and the quality of life of future generations.

Together with Dutch Design Foundation (DDF), Sweco distilled this ambition into one radical design question.

What if the Earth is our client?

The question positions the Earth as a stakeholder in its own right. This brings soil, water, air, biodiversity and future generations into Sweco’s design decisions.

From all the submissions, Sweco selected Arnhem-based Fillip Studios as the design studio. The multidisciplinary studio creates interactive installations, exhibitions and experiences at the intersection of art, technology and science. Guided by its mission, Impact through Wonder, the studio facilitated the co-creation process and translated the knowledge of Sweco employees into an interactive installation.

Within Commissioned by Earth, Fillip Studios took on the role of creative catalyst. The studio facilitated co-creation with Sweco employees and translated the knowledge gathered into an interactive installation.

During co-creation workshops, Fillip Studios brought together the knowledge, questions and dilemmas of Sweco employees from different disciplines. Regenerative thinking was at the heart of the process: not simply reducing harm, but helping natural systems recover and thrive.

These insights were translated into an interactive installation that made regenerative design tangible and experiential during DDW25. It created a shared experience that opened up conversations within Sweco, as well as with fellow professionals and the wider public. The installation can also continue to be used both within and beyond the organisation after Dutch Design Week.

The main outcome is not the installation itself. A design-led approach helped Sweco make an abstract ambition tangible, bring different disciplines together around a shared question, and develop a language for discussing regenerative thinking.

Because the installation can be used again, the result remains available as a tool for reflection and conversation.

For Fillip Studios, working with engineers, urban planners and environmental experts provided a rich starting point for the project. Artistic research and technical expertise strengthened each other: Sweco brought practical knowledge and expertise, while the designers helped challenge familiar assumptions and enabled people to experience complex information in a different way.

For Sweco, the design-led approach also created space for a different kind of conversation. By treating the Earth as the client, employees were able to examine the choices they make in their everyday work from an unexpected perspective.