There’s a widespread—and dangerously limiting—belief that sustainability is a landlocked issue. As if responsible design could only thrive among gardens and hills, and not also among waves.
Yet the sea—especially the world of superyachts—is one of the most urgent and sensitive frontiers for deep cultural transformation. I spoke about this at the 2025 Blue Design Summit in La Spezia, an extraordinary international event focused on the future of nautical design, where I was invited to share insights on applying bioarchitecture to naval interiors.
Because yes, even a high-tech, high-performance yacht is ultimately a space we inhabit. And therefore, a living organism that interacts directly with the human body, the senses, and the internal rhythms of those on board.
What is bioarchitecture at sea?
It is the science and art of designing environments that honor the balance between humans and their ecosystem—even when that ecosystem is unstable, humid, saline, and spatially constrained like a floating hull. These are often semi-hermetic interiors where, according to the WHO, indoor air pollution can be up to five times higher than outdoors.
The problems? Known, but too often underestimated: synthetic materials, glues, paints, technical fabrics releasing VOCs; poor ventilation; artificial lighting misaligned with circadian rhythms; mechanical noise and constant acoustic reverberation.
The solutions? They exist, and they work. But they must be designed with skill and awareness.
How do we do it?
It begins with materials: certified wood, natural adhesives, mineral-based paints, organic textiles. But it goes much deeper: into light and shadow management, airflow design, acoustic balance, and thermal regulation. A well-designed cabin can become a harmonious microcosm: quiet, breathable, and oriented toward wellbeing.
Our approach as bioarchitects is the same on land or at sea: listen to the body, design for the mind, and respect the environment. But in nautical spaces, every choice is intensified. Everything is more concentrated. And more meaningful.
To say a superyacht can be sustainable might sound like a paradox. But that’s exactly where the real challenge lies. Progress is not about denying the desire for beauty and comfort—it’s about redefining it with new tools, values, and priorities.
The new luxury is not display, but respect—for health, for time, for nature, and for those who travel with us. A space designed for wellbeing isn’t just more beautiful. It’s more ethical. And it makes us feel truly at home. Even on water.
And yes—I’ll admit it. At the evening party of the Summit, I tasted the best Cappon Magro of my life. Proof that when care is genuine, you feel it in every detail. Even in the kitchen.
All the speeches is available at the following link: https://www.bluedesignsummit.it/