Lydia Hughes- BA (Hons) Interior Design
Biome
I am a designer with a strong passion for retail and experiential design, with a particular interest in creating spaces that feel both engaging and educational. I’m drawn to how retail environments can become more than places of transaction, instead offering memorable experiences that encourage connection, curiosity and learning. My design approach is shaped by a growing interest in circularity and sustainability, especially through material choices and systems that consider long-term environmental impact while remaining practical and inviting for everyday users.
My final project, Biome, brings these interests together through a hybrid educational retail concept centred around gut health, agriculture and nutrition. Inspired by the intelligence and interconnectedness of fungi and bacteria, the project explores how circular systems found in nature can inform healthier and more sustainable ways of living. Biome proposes a self-sustaining environment where retail and education work together, encouraging people to better understand the relationship between soil health, food production and personal wellbeing.
The project is rooted in the belief that healthier communities begin with access to knowledge as well as access to food. By combining experiential retail with learning and community engagement, Biome aims to make conversations around gut health and sustainability more accessible, relevant and interactive. Through my work, I hope to continue exploring how retail spaces can educate, inspire and create meaningful change, using design as a tool to encourage more circular and thoughtful ways of living.
