wellness

Living in Balance and Symbiosis with Nature through Biophilic Design

Living in Balance and Symbiosis with Nature through Biophilic Design

How can Biophilic Design be used to create happier and healthier environments? Ben Channon is an architect, author, TEDx speaker and mental wellbeing advocate, and is well known as a thought leader in designing for happiness and wellbeing. As a Director at the wellbeing design consultancy Ekkist, he helps clients and design teams to create healthier places, and researches how buildings and urban design can impact how we feel. He also offers talks on workplace mental health, productivity and company culture, sharing his philosophy that happier staff are better staff.

Ben developed an interest in design for mental health, wellbeing and happiness after suffering with anxiety problems in his mid-twenties. His search for solutions to his personal issues led to him unearthing lots of amazing research including in the realm of environmental psychology, which proved that the environment we spend time in has a huge impact on how we feel, think, behave and interact with other people. All this led him to research the relationship between buildings and happiness, which formed the basis of his first book: ‘Happy by Design’. Ben’s second book ‘The Happy Design Toolkit’ - which offers more practical advice on how to create buildings for our mental wellbeing (published in March 2022) which gives people the tools to implement the principles of Happy Design.

Ben makes it clear that progress towards Happy Design doesn’t have to be in big steps.  He advocates using ‘nudge’ psychology; making small but significant changes that encourage healthier, happier behaviours, to add “little bits of joy” wherever we can, creating uplifting places and spaces that add elements of joy.

Biophilic Design is increasingly more widely embraced, but long-term thinking and better education are required for the benefits of a biophilic approach to be fully realised. Listening to this podcast is a fantastic way to start that journey as Ben’s advocacy of the benefits of biophilic design is clear and compelling....

The Wave - Connecting us to our Blue Mind

The Wave - Connecting us to our Blue Mind

Tying in with Issue 6, our Blue Mind edition of The Journal of Biophilic Design we speak with Nick Hounsfield, Founder and Chief Visionary Officer at The Wave in Bristol. The Wave is an inland Surfing destination.

After working in the healthcare sector and realizing that not only one of the key aspects for people was that they were lonely but that they also were missing a connection to nature, Nick wanted to create something at scale that would have a positive impact. He also wanted to reach out to people who didn’t have access to a private healthcare system.

How can we democratise this? How can we make it more accessible for more people?” Nick explains how he went on to create The Wave. He had a very clear purpose and mandate, wanting to appeal to everyone, be accessible in all seasons and ensuring he addressed barriers to accessing to green and blue space. “We have to break down those barriers through design, through great landscaping, a good business model, and also make sure that we're not destroying the planet and local ecology either.”

Are you sitting comfortably? ...probably not...!

Are you sitting comfortably? ...probably not...!

What do you think of when people say "ergonomics"? You, like many others, may think 'comfortable chairs and sit-stand desks', but as Guy Osmond, MD of Osmond Ergonomics explains in this podcast, it is more than that. Incorporating Biophilic Design into workplace solutions, ergonomics covers the physical and mental wellbeing of the individual. The word itself comes from the Ancient Greek "ergon" meaning "work" and "nomos" meaning natural law, so ergonomics is the practice of designing a work environment optimised for the individual so they can be the most attentive, most productive and most comfortable at work.

In this podcast Guy gives us, at 00:13:00, THREE TIPS you can do at home to improve your home working. He also shares information from a NASA study on how and why we should move to trigger your anti-gravity muscles.

Millions of people are still working from their kitchen, with a whole bunch of them suffering from neck, shoulder and back problems, as well as mental health issues. If you have ever heard of the term "Magnetic Office", you will probably know that it is a term referring to the pull of the office. If you want your staff to return to your offices, well, just take a look at their design. Can they can work comfortably? Are you considering the well-being management of your workforce? Up your game and think of the bigger picture, and remember the key takeaway from this podcast: the mental and physical health of your staff are interconnected.

Your Life Nature

Your Life Nature

When was the last time you took a “nature break”? Hobie Hare, founder of “Your Life Nature” encourages us not only to take some time and get out into nature but also to bring Biophilia into our homes, with reminders of positive emotions, maybe it’s seashells from the beech, or a photograph that conjures an emotion that resonates with you…

Botanic Shed - School of Nature

Botanic Shed - School of Nature

When was the last time you felt stressed? Sometimes things in life can be a wee bit too much, or there's just one too many things to do, or just too much on your plate for whatever reason. We speak with Lara Cowan, founder of the Botanic Shed - School of Nature….