Journal of biophilic design - articles, research, podcasts, videos on biophilia
London’s iconic Barbican conservatory couldn’t have been more fitting for a conference dedicated to the immense benefits of a world designed with biophilic principles. Visionaries, designers, architects, lawyers, academics, entrepreneurs, advocates and professionals across various walks in life, came together to share their perspectives for one full day in a series of talks.
This was part 1 of an interview with Jeffrey Hart of the Building Sustainability Podcast. Tables were turned and he was interviewing our founder, Vanessa Champion.
In this episode, guest Vanessa Champion discusses biophilia and biophilic design, emphasizing the importance of nature connection and its benefits for well-being and the environment. We explore underappreciated biophilic patterns, healthcare benefits, materials, and so much more.
Overall, the focus is on improving the built environment for people and the planet through biophilic design.
Part 1!
Did you know that every year, millions of people turn off their energy use all around the globe for an hour.
“Earth Hour is moment of unity that brings the world together, shines a spotlight on nature loss and the climate crisis, and inspires millions more to act and advocate for urgent change. Each year, we work together to turn a single Earth Hour into thousands and millions of hours of action for our one shared home.”
I’d like to invite you to do the same. Switch off and Give an hour for Earth on Saturday, March 23rd at 8:30 pm your local time. Together, let's create the Biggest Hour for Earth!
Biophilic Design - the use of plants in providing cleaner air and connecting us with nature, coupled with natural light, certain colours, acoustics, and fragrances - has long been proven to have a positive effect on both mental and physical well-being. For over 25 years, expert horticulturalists Benholm Group have pioneered the use of plants for interiors, not only as an eye-catching focal point, but also to promote the natural health benefits that being surrounded by plants can bring.
This concept has now been brought to the forefront of a new research study led by Sustainability Lead at House of Commons + PhD Researcher, Joyce Chan-Schoof to question if we can apply a social and economic value to biophilic design.
Can biophilic design add value to the workplace - not only through improving air quality and aesthetics, but can it have a tangible impact on employee productivity, retention, absenteeism, satisfaction, engagements and up-skilling?
Biophilic design can introduce better healing with natural elements and an improved look. Incorporating it in hospitals and doctors' offices could give patients more benefits than you would expect.
How can biophilic design help a patient’s healing process? Many studies have proven the positive effects of nature on the human mind. However, with modern interior design and increased times in the workplace, getting time outdoors can be challenging. Biophilic design can do a lot to increase patient and physician health. Here’s a look at some of the benefits and how to start introducing them into your facility.
Westfield London is launching a biophilic-designed home pop-up called ‘Healthy Home’, with renowned sustainable and wellbeing designer Oliver Heath, working with a range of home and interior brands to curate an exclusive collection inspired by biophilia. Visitors to the pop-up, which will be live between 19th to 22nd May, will be able to discover the benefits of biophilic design and how to transform their own homes into mindful and restorative spaces through clever designs that focus on various approaches, ranging from sensory design to supporting biodiversity.
We catch up with Glen Cousquer who was leading part of the COP26 Nature Pilgrimage. He shares with us some images and a poetic thought on the feelings, the view of the SSI, the haunting fiddler on the beach. “The earth holds our footsteps even as the tide patiently wipes them clean. Sadly, our footsteps lay increasingly heavy on the earth and we can no longer rely on the time and the tide to wipe them clean.
Time and tide wait for no man as they say … especially when man is leadenfooted.”
From Edible bus-stops to pocket parks and Roof gardens on the tops of London Banks, journalist Hartley Milner takes us on a trip around the UK and London highlighting the difference nature has made to spaces, and how clever and heart-felt use of Nature in Design has transformed lives.
Read on for not only some interesting statistics but also there is a compelling interview with the architect of the beautiful and inspiring Maggie’s Cancer Care centre in Southampton.
You may have heard of the “sick building syndrome” where the actual building we live and work in is making us sick. There are a mass of chemicals that are hidden in the paint we use, the cushions and chairs we sit on, the clothes we wear, the carpets we walk on… it can cause everything from coughs, allergies, skin problems, dry eyes, right down to cancers and inflammatory diseases of the respiratory tract.
I became aware of the topic of biophilic design in 2008 through an online presentation by Stephen Kellert, former Professor Emeritus of Social Ecology & Senior Research Scholar, School of Forestry and Environmental Studies at Yale University.
I immediately recognized a kinship between my work in feng shui and this new discipline and have dedicated the last decade to studying and, eventually earned a certificate in biophilic design from the International Living Future Institute earlier this year. (See my earlier post on The Intersection of Feng Shui & Biophilic Design)…
Sound may not be one of the first things we think of in biophilic design but what most people want from the auditory environment is intrinsically linked to nature.
Our hearing is often key in our perception of the world around us; it helps us to interact, communicate and be aware of what is happening and impending change. It is designed for the outside, a world without walls and other hard reflective surfaces that focus sound and allow it to build up to levels where it affects our concentration, increases levels of anxiety, negatively affects performance and interrupts our sleep….
Feng shui is an intuitive art that has been practiced for thousands of years. It was built on the observation of nature, common sense, and gut instinct and was used to locate the optimal places for survival. But today, the primary goal is to enhance success in life. Feng shui is a language of metaphor that requires attention to the feel of spaces.
On the other hand, biophilic design was developed in reaction to our modern, technology-driven lives. It is based on researchthat shows access to nature and natural elements decreases stress and improves our feeling of wellbeing.
By 2050, the United Nations states that 75% of the world’s projected 9 billion population will live in cities. So, is it so surprising that as a species we have become disconnected from nature…and forests, in particular, where we have lived for most of our life on earth? We are also, increasingly an indoor species. The World Health Organisation names stress as the health epidemic of the 21st century. Since its inception in Japanese culture in the 1980’s, Shinrin-yoku, meaning ‘Forest bath’, has proven to affect health and wellbeing beneficially in a myriad of ways. Forest Bathing/Shinrin-yoku - a Japanese practice reconnecting people with nature, alleviating effects of stress and burnout, developed in the 1980s during tech boom. Research into the practice has continued since then, and expanded worldwide…
Epigenetics - Why our hospitals need to look and feel more natural. ‘Epigenetics’ is a recently established pillar of biomedicine, it examines how environmental signals control the health of our cells. the opposite of the placebo effect, the nocebo effect, which, simply put, says negative thoughts create sickness. If you believe the power of the placebo effect, think about how important it is to not fall into the nocebo effect, driven by negative thinking. This may worry many, as psychologists say that 70-80% of the average person’s thoughts are negative ones. So, coming back to the fear of being in hospital…
Theatre, TV and film create simulations of environments to transport the audience somewhere else. Similarly here at The Journal of Biophilic Design and those who work using biophilic design, we create harmony by mimicking nature to bring about a simulated environment of an outside space to bring peace and calm to workplaces, healthcare and so on….
How many times have I written, “it’s not rocket science…nature is good for you?” Well for the umpteenth time, I’m saying it again, and so is NBC. A recent NBC article discusses why natural scenery improves your mood and makes you more productive. They quote the results of an article published in the Journal of Environmental Psychology which outlines the benefits of having just 40 second green views can have on sustaining attention, less errors and more consistency. This is because it boosts sub-cortical arousal and cortical attention control.
