Need to Know
24 : 02 : 20

Stockholm – Design studio Form Us With Love has launched Forgo, a sustainable, subscription-based personal care service that produces significantly less waste than most brands in the toiletries sector.

The brand’s eco-first initiative initially led to a subtraction of ingredients – with the removal of 80–90% of the water that exists in most cosmetic products. After developing a powdered solution to which consumers add their own water, Forgo's developers turned their attention to plastic, throwaway bottle. Now, its three concentrated powders are sold in water-soluble paper.

Created to provide an overall more eco-friendly at-home cleaning option, Forgo has created a starter pack including a re-usable frosted glass bottle. Also recognising the importance of convenience for shoppers, the service operates on a subscription delivery model, with sachets that fit through letterboxes reducing the size and weigh of the product.

Brands are increasingly aware of the need to reduce the amount of water used in cosmetics manufacturing – something we examine in Waterless Beauty – developing formulas to alleviate environmental concerns.

Singapore – Singapore’s Housing Development Board (HDB) is shining a light on the city’s first eco town of Punggol.

Created by Wunderman Thompson, its new campaign film – Neighbours – showcases Punggol's variety of activities and potential for burgeoning eco-conscious communities. Focusing on design, sustainability and local leisure activities, HDB highlights the progress that has been made to create a district that's appealing as well as future-facing for urban residents.

Shown through the eyes of an oriole bird, shots of panoramic landscapes capture the spaces familiar to Singaporean residents – from outdoor exercise areas to car parks and fashion stores. According to Farrokh Jal Madon, chief creative officer at Wunderman Thompson Singapore: ‘Keeping nature at the heart of self-sufficient, modern estates is an integral part of HDB’s planning.’

Focusing on the diversity and varied lifestyles of Singaporeans, the campaign diverges from typical eco aesthetics by instead taking a more relatable approach. In Wellness Architecture, we examine further how positive living and urban wellbeing are extending beyond gyms and into communities and residential developments like Punggol.

According to research by Colliers International, gyms are increasingly multi-functional spaces that play host to a variety of social activities.

Some 72% of Britons say they would consider going on a date to the gym, while 62% say they have dated someone who is a member of a gym, a gym trainer or member of staff they met at the gym. And with UK gym attendance rising steadily, fitness spaces are innovating to become key spaces for social interaction. Ross Kirton, head of UK leisure agency at Colliers International, says: ‘With gym attendance up by 45% in two years, gyms are places to train, socialise, relax and even date.’

Staying engaged with our overall wellbeing now involves much more than healthy eating and fitness classes – it's now crossing over with a variety of Social Wellness needs, from friendship to dating.