Biophilic design is a design and building strategy that aims to improve human health, well-being, and productivity by creating positive indoor environmental conditions. Biophilic design is based on the theory that humans are naturally drawn to nature. Incorporating natural elements such as plants, water features, and other sensory stimuli into your home or office is sure to make you feel more relaxed and content.
Biophilic Design: Definition
Biophilic design is a term that describes the use of natural elements in interior design. This can include plants, animals, and other elements found in nature. It's a way to bring nature indoors, improving mood, reducing stress, and promoting health.
It's not just about bringing a houseplant into your home; it's also about incorporating natural materials like wood or stone into your home or office. It can be anything from choosing black furniture instead of white to replacing carpeting with hardwood floors. Biophilic design can also include features like skylights and windows that allow light into the space to help you feel more connected to your surroundings (and less stressed).
Why is biophilic design relevant today?
Most people today live in urban environments and spend most of their time indoors. While this is necessary for productivity, it is also detrimental to our health and well-being.
Biophilic design is important because it can help us reconnect with nature through physical and virtual experiences, making us happier, healthier, and more productive at work.
Principles and elements of biophilic design
In short, biophilic design is the practice of designing buildings and spaces based on the natural environment. It's a way to make our built environment healthier, more healing, and more satisfying for people.
The goal is to create places that are relaxing, inspiring, and healing for everyone. These spaces can include office buildings, schools, or hospitals, as well as residential buildings. Biophilic design incorporates elements from nature such as natural light, natural materials like wood or stone floors, views of the outdoors into gardens or parks—and even the sounds of waterfalls echoing through the spaces!
This type of architecture has been used in buildings for thousands of years, but has become fashionable again in recent decades thanks to research into how positively our brains respond to these stimuli (more on this later).
Biophilia in practice
Biophilic design is a concept that can be as simple as having a houseplant in your home. According to the Biophilic Design Institute, biophilic design involves "the creation of spaces and places that connect people to nature, each other, and themselves." The idea is that there are certain features of the natural world (like plants or moss) that help us feel more comfortable and relaxed, and connect us with the world around us.
The key element of biophilic design is looking at what has long been considered normal or average and finding ways to improve it by incorporating elements from nature into your life or environment. For example, you could use greenery on your windowsill instead of flowers from the local florist, place potted plants throughout your home instead of leaving them outside on the patio, or use soft colors like greens (for example, in the form of a moss mural) in your home office instead of stark white or black because they are calmer and more relaxing than bright colors when you're trying to focus on an important work project.
Consider incorporating biophilic design principles into your home to improve health, well-being, and lifestyle
Biophilic design is a term that describes the relationship between humans and nature. It's a growing trend in architecture, interior design, and urban planning. Biophilic design has been proven to improve health, well-being, and lifestyle.
If you are interested in incorporating biophilic elements into your home or work environment, you should consider the following points:
- Rely on natural light
- View of green spaces or water areas
- Use plants, flowers and wood
Biophilic design remains a trend in urban living
The trend continues: More and more people are consciously choosing to live in cities and moving to places like Zurich or Geneva. Well-developed infrastructure, good job opportunities, and the diversity of social life make living in the city attractive. But there's a catch. Many people truly lack a connection to nature. Biophilic design allows urban living to be combined with living close to nature. It's therefore hardly surprising that biophilic design is increasingly gaining ground in cities.
Biophilic design is based on 14 elements
Contrary to popular belief, biophilic design is extremely complex. According to recommendations, it is based on 14 elements that focus not only on sight and touch, but also on smell and hearing. Biophilic design approaches also aim to create a sense of nature. Meeting all of these requirements requires innovative ideas and sophisticated approaches. These are readily available today. Floor-to-ceiling windows, for example, are increasingly creating connections to the outside world in modern architecture.
Natural materials are highly valued in biophilic design
Biophilic design also thrives on the use of natural materials. Architects and interior designers can draw on a wealth of solutions here. In addition to natural stone, clay, wool, and cork are highly sought after. Solid wood is also a material that is increasingly gaining attention in both home construction and interior design. Wallpapers with floral or plant motifs bring biophilic design into the interior design of rooms.
Connecting people with nature
Biophilic design refers to the creation of spaces and places that connect people with nature. This can be achieved in a variety of ways, from the use of natural materials to the incorporation of natural elements into the space, such as plants or water.
Here are some examples:
- A "living room" consisting of a group of trees surrounded by grass. This would be comparable to an outdoor living room you might find in your garden, only on a much larger scale!
- A roof garden with plants and flowers that grow into the sky, making it look like an oasis in an otherwise concrete urban landscape.
- Waterfalls that are part of your route through the city (if you live near one)
Conclusion
We hope this article has been helpful to you, whether you're a designer, architect, or someone looking to incorporate biophilic design principles into your home. If you have any questions about our products or would like to learn more about how we can help you incorporate these principles into your own project, home, or office, please feel free to contact us.