What is Biophilic Design?
From time immemorial we have been connected to the earth, to the land, to the wind, the rain, the sun, nourishing ourselves from the abundance of fruits and seeds around us, listening to the leaves rustle, watching the birds fly in formation above our heads as they head for different climes, feel the ice cold water in the rivers, or enjoy the grass beneath our feet as we sit and talk around a fire.
As a species, the human race NEEDS a connection to nature.
The most obvious way is by getting outside and communing directly with nature, a regular dose of nature does wonders for mental and physical health, general wellbeing and so many other aspects of our lives.
But we spend most of our lives inside, at home, in an office (when we can get there!), in a shop, warehouse, school, hospital, hotel, and so on surrounded by white walls, plastics, TV noise, fluorescent lighting... Many of us operate in cities or towns, there’s concrete, asphalt, cars, cacophonies, hardly any parks or trees, birds are minimal and life is, well, running on empty.
The distance from where our inherent biological connection to the world and ourselves is currently, is a thousand miles away from where it needs to be in many instances.
So this is where Biophilic Design comes in. Biophilia is the “love of life, living things”, plants, animals, insects, us, air, flowers, sounds, textures…. In interior design this is often represented directly, for instance by bringing plants in, encouraging natural light and fresh air or by its virtual representation or mimicking of nature, so printed views, using colours from nature, soundscaping or improving acoustics. In urban planning, this is about incorporating trees, parks, wildlife corridors, biodiversity, encouraging engagement with nature and communities through pathways and so on
