Held during annual NYC Climate Week, this in-person event will serve as a gathering opportunity for those working on and interested in biobased construction materials and advancing their use and effectiveness in the industry. The event is designed to create dialogue, collaboration opportunities and networking for this growing community of designers, manufacturers, builders and advocates. 

The event will feature a mix of on-stage presentations, interactive audience engagement, and opportunities for networking over catered refreshments. Attendees will also be able to explore a curated display of biobased materials and products arranged around the perimeter of the space, including contributions from the Healthy Materials Lab at Parsons.

• 5:00-5:30 pm - Arrival and Registration
• 5:30-6:15 pm - Brief talks and presentations on the state of biobased materials adoption, barriers and drivers for innovation.
• 6:15-7:00 pm - Discussion & Collective Activity
• 7:00-8:00 pm - Reception

• Avinash Rajagopal, Editor-in-Chief, Metropolis Magazine
• Lindsay Baker, CEO, Living Future
• Jonsara Ruth & Alison Mears, Co-Directors and Founders, Healthy Materials Lab at Parsons Design School
• Mae-Ling Lokko, Yale Center for Ecosystems in Architecture
• Kritika Kharbanda, Head of Sustainability, Henning Larsen
• James Kitchin, Director of the Abundant Futures Design Lab, MASS Design Group
• Chris Forney, Brightworks Sustainability

This event is co-hosted by Living Future, the Healthy Materials Lab at Parsons School of Design, Yale University’s Center for Ecosystems in Architecture (CEA), Metropolis Magazine, Henning Larsen and MASS Design Group. It was conceived as a continuation of collective work around the acceleration of biobased materials in the construction industry, in particular the Biobased Buildings Summit at the 2025 Living Future conference and the new Biobased Materials Collective (housed at MASS).