Sustainable Ecological Engineering Design for Society (SEEDS) 2025

THEME: Pursuing sustainability from an auxiliary commitment to a core priority, beyond common-sense, in a changing political and socio-economic landscape

Loughborough University, Loughborough, UK

03, 04 & 05 September 2025*

*03 - online, 04 & 05 - in-person

Download our flyer here: SEEDS Call for abstracts 2025.pdf

Across previous years, our understanding of the influence of the socio-economic characteristics on sustainable practices has seen a significant advancement. However, the political characteristics contribute little to our understanding of sustainable behaviour amidst change in national policies, housing, contribution to the natural environment, use of innovations, value for money, and overall impact of power within relative markets. For some, the impact of any change on the political landscape would ultimately mean an impact on the adoption of sustainable solutions, while for others, such a change does not necessarily entail a primary course of action.

Amidst a change of political agendas, we now yet again find ourselves overlooking various scenarios that challenge the core tenets of Sustainable Ecological Engineering Design for Society (SEEDS). Without delving into the plausible adverse effects of political decisions, and often also the indecisions, we stand to offer a little more than applied commonsense, as commonsense to promote these tenets may now need to be crafted in a slightly distinctive way.

This year we ask...

How do we redefine the ways we convey sustainability and ecological engineering, from a rather often seen auxiliary solutions to fit within the core values of any upcoming change?

This question will be critically investigated in this conference by trying to reach sensible answers to some of the complex questions, for, as Thomas Sowell’s famous quote in A Conflict of Visions, “There are no solutions. There are only trade-offs”. It is indeed healthy to have scepticism toward one-size-fits-all solutions, and to embrace the complexity of decision-making.

To advance these arguments, the conference themes will encompass:

  • Socio-economic Influence on Sustainability: The impact of socio-economic characteristics on sustainable practices and behaviours.
     
  • Global and Local Political Agendas: The shifts in political agendas and their role in challenging existing policies, housing, ecological engineering, and market powers on sustainability adoption.
     
  • Political Decisions and Indecisions: Adverse effects of political actions and inactions on ecological engineering and sustainability.
     
  • Contextual Sustainability Narratives: Narratives that align longstanding sustainability goals with existing political priorities.
     
  • Interdisciplinary Exploration of Sustainability: Sustainability and ecological engineering through diverse perspectives and tailored approaches.

Key Dates

1st call for abstract submissions 09 December 2024
2nd call for abstract submissions  16 December 2024
Abstract submission deadline 13 January 2025
Notification on abstracts 14 February 2025
Full paper submission deadline 25 April 2025
Notification on full paper 26 May 2025
Final paper submission deadline 

16 June 2025

Audience

The SEEDS community is a confluence of experienced and early career researchers from across the world and from diverse disciplines.

This melting pot encourages exciting conversations and opportunities to collaborate.

Members of the SEEDS community, who have met during previous years of the conference, are now working on projects and submitting research papers together.

Submissions are encouraged from researchers at all levels, including doctoral students.

So, if you're passionate about your research and eager to connect with a diverse community of like-minded individuals, the International SEEDS conference is for you.

Conference Chairs

Dr Ali Saad Loughborough University
Professor Chris Gorse Loughborough University
Professor Saheed Ajayi Leeds Beckett University
Professor Colin Booth University of the West of England, Bristol
Professor Darryl Newport University of Suffolk
Dr Alison Pooley University of Suffolk

Accommodation and Travel

This year’s International SEEDS Conference is being held at Loughborough University on our superb campus in the heart of England. The main conference will be hosted in the Sir Frank Gibb building on our Loughborough Campus, with the gala dinner and awards ceremony at a venue, yet to be decided, but within walking distance of the day time venue.

Loughborough is a market town in the heart of the East Midlands, about halfway between Leicester and Nottingham and only a short train ride away from London. With great transport links, Loughborough is an easy place to get to. If you need more information about the location, please see the Loughborough University map.

If arriving internationally, East Midlands Airport is only 7 miles away and offers both domestic and international flights.

There are a variety of accommodation options within the vicinity including the following:

  • Burleigh Court Conference Centre and Hotel (located on the University campus)
  • The Link Hotel (0.4 miles)
  • Travelodge Loughborough Central (0.6 miles)
  • Premier Inn, Loughborough (0.7 miles)

Format and Pricing

The conference will follow a hybrid delivery model. The first day of the conference (3rd September) will be online only and the following two days (4th and 5th September) will be held in-person at Loughborough University Campus.

There will be a gala dinner and awards ceremony hosted nearby on the evening of the 4th September which you are welcome to attend as part of the full conference pricing option.

  Full conference (3,4,5 September & Gala Dinner) In-person day only (4 or 5 September) Online only (3rd September)
Standard Early Bird (on or before 1st July 2025) £350 £200 £150
Student Early Bird (on or before 1st July 2025) £200 £125 £100
Standard £450 £250 £200
Student £300 £175 £150

Watch this space to find out when tickets go on sale.

Abstracts

SEEDS Call for abstracts 2025.pdf

Themes for Abstracts

  • Protecting nature and the natural environment
  • Building and environmental design
  • Energy efficient modelling, simulation, and BIM
  • Integrating urban and natural environment 
  • Building performance, analysis, and evaluation
  • Thermal comfort, air quality and overheating
  • Green spaces, enclosures, and buildings
  • Renewable energy technologies
  • Energy behaviour and lifestyle
  • Damp, water damage and flooding
  • Building surveys, thermography, building pathology
  • Water and air quality
  • Education & Training
  • Planning and sculpturing positive change
  • Reducing consumption and waste
  • Sustainability, ethics, and responsibility 
  • Behaviour change
  • Community building and co-production
  • Human health and natural materials
  • Urban heat island and mitigation
  • Building resilience
  • Sustainable cities
  • Zero energy and energy plus buildings
  • Trees and urban landscapes
  • Edible urban landscapes
  • Biomimicry and Biophilic Design
  • Building and infrastructure impact and resilience
  • Buildings and Infatuation
  • Digital Technologies and Applications
  • Sustainability Policy
  • Innovation Management and Adoption

Please submit abstracts by 13 January 2025 via the SEEDS MyPortal by logging in here.
If you do not already have an account, make sure to sign up here first.

We advise that your abstract is a maximum of 300 words.

Contact us

Please email any queries to LSIConference@leedsbeckett.ac.uk

If you have already submitted an abstract, please ensure you include your Paper ID in all correspondence.

We aim to reply within 3-5 working days.