about us

plant-based.space is an information-sharing and networking service created by The Monomoy Company. It delivers research, creates content, develops partnerships, links professionals, and otherwise helps like-minded individuals think strategically about how bioinnovation is changing the industry.

why plant-based.space?

Concepts like “organic,” “free from,” and – perhaps most intriguing of all – “plant-based” have been used by companies to create alternative products with large markets, loyal consumers, and big profits. It is perhaps little wonder, given their success elsewhere, that such terms are entering the lexicon of green buildings and the built environment more generally.

We like “plant-based” as framework not just because it is well known (which it is) and highly valued (ditto), but also because it communicates a goodness you know without asking. At a time when net zero carbon and healthy indoor environments are atop occupier lists, buildings that convey this concept have a mainstream winning strategy.

As we enter a period defined by “zero” (carbon, water, waste, toxins, plastics … you name it, the list is only going to grow), we think nature sets the example. After all, plants have been at this since the beginning of time.

The five things that plants do — use 100% renewables, detoxify the environment, consume water carefully, nourish human health, and biodegrade without harm — are a masterclass on the future of buildings.

And the five things that plants need — sunlight, clean air, fresh water, organic materials, and biodiversity — are essential ingredients for creating value. That’s not just us talking, it’s also the Harvard Business Review.  We find it more than a little instructive (and ironic) that customers are willing to pay more for the things that nature has histprovides for free.

Simple “Stickiness” 

The idea of a plant-based approach to buildings is not new. “Biophilic” (or more nature-driven) design has been around for decades. “Biomimicry” is another term —again decades old — that has been used to define how inanimate objects (like buildings) can more sustainably perform operations by copying natural principles, such as the circular economy.

Plant-based.space is an emerging concept but we think it has several advantages over biophilic or biomimicry – not least of which is in the name. Biophilia and biomimicry are derived from science and its more technical literature and are not immediately apparent to a wide audience. Plant-based on the other hand, is one of the world’s fastest-growing concepts. 

A strategy based on plants is not as far-fetched as it may initially sound. Ideas that have been at the fringe, including net zero carbon and wellness, are now top selling points for buildings. We believe that a plant-based approach is the next idea in real estate to move from theoretical concept to mainstream acceptance.