Julia Barfield is an architect and activist at the forefront of regenerative design and the integration of circular economy principles into architectural practice.

She co-founded Marks Barfield Architects in 1989 with David Marks (1952–2017). The practice is internationally recognised for projects including the Stirling Prize–shortlisted London Eye and Cambridge Central Mosque. In 2000, Julia was awarded an MBE, and she was shortlisted for Woman Architect of the Year in 2017.

While Marks Barfield has long been grounded in ecological thinking, the 2018 IPCC report, which highlighted the catastrophic risks of exceeding 1.5°C of global warming, marked a turning point. Julia subsequently led a shift in the practice’s focus towards actively addressing climate change and biodiversity loss through a regenerative approach to the built environment.

In 2019, she was instrumental in establishing Architects Declare, a global movement that now spans 28 countries and includes over 8,100 signatory organisations.

Her current work includes the development of the West Somerset Lagoon, a speculative tidal energy scheme in the Bristol Channel with the potential to become the UK’s largest sustainable energy project.