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
Scientists and psychologists have, since the 1960s, identified the enormous benefits that living with nature confers on us, but it is only now that interior and exterior design is really starting to celebrate this progressive trend to lessen, not only our environmental impact, but also to enhance our well-being.
Through our Journal of Biophilic Design you can learn more about the medical research conducted on the impact biophilic design can have on not only the well-being of your staff, patients and families but also your budgets.
In 1984 the biologist and double Pulitzer Prize winner, Edward O. Wilson defined the term biophilia as “the innate tendency [in human beings] to focus on life and lifelike process. ..Our existence depends on this propensity, our spirit is woven from it, hopes rise on its currents.”[1] In other words, as humans we love nature, we come from it, are part of it and we respond positively to it. To shield ourselves away from nature is like removing light from our world. The benefits of having a simulation of nature in our working day environment as well as in our homes are huge and as designers we can be inspired by and embrace this trend.
Remember how you feel when you take yourself off into the woods to warm your face as the sunlight streams through the leaves above your head or take a walk by the coast to feel the salt-spray on your lips, listen to seagulls and pick up shells from the beach. These simple pleasures that we sometimes forget about, can transform our mindset, improving stress levels and boost our immune system. It’s not just crazy tree-hugging Southern-Californian theory, it is backed up by science. In fact, it has been proven that windows looking out to plants and trees can help speed up healing and are increasingly featured in the design of new hospitals. If cutting a window in an interior wall isn’t doable, then install a view onto the natural world.
A biophilic environment enhances our lives and uplifts our mindset, helping us focus, it fortifies our immune and emotional systems on a neural level and for those of us who are in bad shape can boost our well-being including the “neuro-endocryne and immunological system”[2]
[1] Wilson, Edward O. (1984). Biophilia. Cambridge: Harvard University Press. ISBN 0-674-07442-4.
[2] Caperna A., Serafini S. (2015). Biourbanism as new epistemological perspective between Science, Design and Nature. In Architecture & Sustainability: Critical Perspectives. “Generating sustainability concepts from an architectural perspective”, KU Leuven – Faculty of Engineering, Belgium). ISBN 9789462920880.
