All About Biophilic Design, The Trend That's Sweeping Architecture (2024)

FAQs

What are 3 benefits of biophilic design? ›

Incorporating direct or indirect elements of nature into the built environment have been demonstrated through research to reduce stress, blood pressure levels and heart rates, whilst increasing productivity, creativity and self reported rates of well-being.

Biophilic designs incorporate natural elements and processes into the built environment, including buildings, interiors, and landscapes. This can include features such as plants, water features, natural light, and natural materials.

Biophilic design comprises the 5 senses; sight, smell, touch, taste and hearing. The ultimate goal is to use these in conjunction with each other to create a space which reenergises its occupants and allows for maximum return on investment.

Biophilic design is an approach to architecture that seeks to connect building occupants more closely to nature. Biophilic designed buildings incorporate things like natural lighting and ventilation, natural landscape features and other elements for creating a more productive and healthy built environment for people.

2.3 Nature-Design Relationships. Biophilic design can be organized into three categories – Nature in the Space, Natural Analogues, and Nature of the Space – providing a framework for understanding and enabling thoughtful incorporation of a rich diversity of strategies into the built environment.

If not properly maintained, natural elements can become unsightly or even hazardous. Allergies: For some employees, exposure to natural elements such as plants or flowers can trigger allergies or other health issues. Space limitations: Biophilic design may not be practical for all workspaces.

Stress Reduction and Emotional Well-being

Modern life often inundates individuals with stressors. BiophiThe biophilic responds to this by introducing elements that evoke tranquility. Natural textures, soothing colors, and the presence of plants have been shown to reduce stress levels and elevate mood.

Biophilia is increasingly recognised as an important element in building design for creating spaces that support health and wellbeing. Luckily, biophilic design does not require extensive or expensive interventions to have an impact.

A sea-change is underway: The locked boxes that have been our buildings (our homes, workplaces, hotels or schools) seem the enemy now. People will demand a connection to nature; it will be the way we live our lives. Biophilia is not a “trend” but the long-term future of architecture and design.

Biophilia hypothesis

The word “Biophilia” was first introduced by a psychoanalyst named Erich Fromm who stated that biophilia is the “passionate love of life and of all that is alive… whether in a person, a plant, an idea, or a social group” in his book The Anatomy of Human Destructiveness in 1973.

What materials are used in biophilic architecture? ›

Common materials used might include FSC wood, bamboo, linen, cork, and ceramic, which all assist in shaping a biophilic design by using natural colors and textures.

The patterns can be categorised into three types: nature in the space, natural analogues and nature of the space. This booklet expands on the work of Terrapin Bright Green with examples and practical tips to incorporate the patterns into your designs.

The Barbican Centre is one of the earliest and most famous examples of biophilic architecture. Opened in the 1980s as an estate in London, it's renowned for its striking, brutalist design. The bleak style of the Barbican is juxtaposed with the use of natural and artificial lakes and extensive wildlife.

Humans are a deeply social species whose security and productivity depends on positive interactions within a spatial context. Effective biophilic design fosters connections between people and their environment, enhancing feelings of relationship, and a sense of membership in a meaningful community.

Research has shown that spending time in nature or even viewing images of natural scenes can have stress-reducing effects. By integrating nature into the built environment, biophilic design provides a constant connection to these stress-reducing stimuli, promoting a more relaxed and productive atmosphere.

Passive exposure to the natural world through repeating geometric patterns and pictures of nature can improve memory and attention. Further, classrooms that utilize biophilic design enhance student creativity and support overall healthier development due to our biologically encoded connection to nature.

Benefits of biophilia include reduced stress, increased wellbeing, improved healing, enhanced learning, and improved biodiversity.

The approach of biomorphic design fosters a sense of flow, contributing to stress reduction. The use of curves and natural forms in furniture and layout crafts a more comfortable and inviting atmosphere, while soft, rounded edges and natural materials evoke a sense of warmth and cosiness.

Visual connection with nature can lower blood pressure and heart rate, improve mental engagement, and attentiveness, and positively impact attitude and overall happiness. This is linked to lower incidence of depression, heart disease, and diabetes.