Catie Ryan Balagtas

I am an environmental design consultant, biophilic design expert, and author at the intersection of nature, neuroscience and architecture for human health and wellbeing. As Director of Projects at Terrapin Bright Green, I really enjoy thinking big, looking deep, and connecting the dots to help others reach their aspirational goals for systems integration, regeneration, and health equity. Projects include community master planning, corporate offices, hotels, schools, and airports.

I’m also co-founder, CEO and Chief Innovation Officer at SouthFARM, a demonstration site in a provincial region of the Philippines. The initiative is a conduit for adaptable best practices from affluent economies that often take decades to filter over to less industrialized countries. My work is to identify appropriate information and scalable demonstrations for farmers and community leaders to feel empowered to make positive change for their families and constituents, respectfully. Key topics include organic agriculture and aquaponics, nutrition and food literacy, passive design and typhoon resilience, safe play space, and reliable access to potable water, electricity and internet.

Past work experiences that have informed my current trajectory include engagement with urban green infrastructure, communications design, fiber optic lighting design, education reform, hunter-gather tribes in forced settlements, and post-disaster missing persons recovery.