plants

A not quite fatal world

A not quite fatal world

Who would want to live in a world that is not quite fatal?

So said ecologist Paul Shepherd in 1958, and quoted by Rachel Carson in “Silent Spring”. 

The Biophilic Design Conference this year has a theme of Policy, Place, Planet – Biophilic Design for a regenerative future. It has this theme for a reason. 

We are living in a ticking time bomb. Our planet is heating up, our climates are changing all over the world, our food security is at risk, our physical health is challenged not just by lifestyle and town planning but also by air and sound pollution inside and outside of the home and workplace, our crops are sprayed, our bees are dying, we are losing our pollinators, our skies are quieter, our living world is struggling to breathe and we are the culprits.

When I first learnt about Biophilic Design, it seemed to me a concept which if applied globally and on all facets of society we could go some way to reverse the ills we have inflicted onto ourselves and our planet. 

READ ON… 

Pioneering Research study aims to prove The Value of Biophilic Design in the workplace.

Pioneering Research study aims to prove The Value of Biophilic Design in the workplace.

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?

Healthy Home - Pop up Biophilic Design inspiration

Healthy Home - Pop up Biophilic Design inspiration

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.

Why we should live together - Part 1 . PLANTS & AIR

Why we should live together - Part 1 . PLANTS & AIR

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.