If someone tells you to close your eyes and “go to your happy place” is it inside or outside? Reflect for a minute on why that’s your happy place—is it because you feel nostalgic about it? Or is it a place you feel safe and calm? Do you feel a sense of well-being when you mentally travel to your happy place?
For many of us, our happy place has something to do with nature—a beautiful view, a walk in the woods, a seat on the beach. And that makes complete sense; after all, humans have existed in the natural world for millennia —living, sleeping, hunting, and forming communities. We crave the outdoors—but recent studies show that on average we spend 93% of our time indoors.
Image of nature courtesy of Pexels
Modern society has often fallen short in nurturing our inherent connection with nature, creating numerous barriers that diminish our ability to experience the natural world fully. Too often, nature is seen merely as a resource to be exploited by technology or as a luxury for recreation and aesthetics rather than a fundamental need. This growing disconnect is evident in many aspects of contemporary life, including manufacturing, education, healthcare, urban development, and design.
Biophilia is a word you hear thrown around a lot in design circles, but what is it really? We casually use it to describe incorporating nature-related concepts, patterns, and materials in design, but the root Greek words actually mean “love of life.” This makes sense when you think about the benefits of biophilic design, which include an increased sense of wellbeing, stress reduction, and enhanced creativity.
Image of Interior Elements Raleigh Office, courtesy of High5 Productions. Furniture provided by Interior Elements.
But what is biophilia? Understanding what something is—and what it is not—is the first step to successful application.
Biophilic design is an approach to the design of the built environment that seeks to reconnect people with nature. Rooted in the idea that humans have an innate connection to the natural world, this design philosophy integrates natural elements, such as plants, natural light, water, and organic materials, into spaces where we live and work.
Image of Castle, courtesy of High5 Productions. Furniture provided by Interior Elements.
The primary challenge of biophilic design lies in overcoming the shortcomings of the modern built environment by establishing a new framework that encourages the presence of nature. That framework can be distilled into a few root concepts: designing to enhance human health and productivity, designing an ecosystem and not an instance, understanding the relationship with the space, and fostering relationship with people.
Biophilic Design Diagram
Human Health and Productivity
At its core, biophilic design contributes to the health and productivity of humans—the users of the designed space. By applying biophilic design concepts, the designer taps into the core of what it is to be human. For millennia human health and productivity meant survival, safety, and the ability to find shelter and protection from the elements and predators. In today’s world, survival at the office or in school is rather different than survival in the wild, but the in both cases “productivity” and “well-being” are interrelated and fundamental.
Image of Interior Elements Greenville Office, courtesy of High5 Productions. Furniture provided by Interior Elements.
Designing supportive interior environments is an investment in the most valuable resource a company, school, or healthcare provider has: the users of the space. In the corporate world this applies to the employees and the clients; educational spaces should support faculty, staff, and student well-being and productivity. In healthcare, designing spaces that support both healthcare providers and the patients is paramount, and biophilic design has been empirically proven to have positive benefits on both stakeholders.
Image of Ortho NC, courtesy of High5 Productions. Furniture provided by Interior Elements.
Ecosystem, Not Instance
To be effective, biophilic design should be incorporated throughout the environment, and not applied as unrelated occurrences. An isolated experience, like a lone plant in a battleship-gray workstation or an out of context art piece has only a fleeting effect and may actually draw attention to the lack of intentional design in the Gestalt.
Image of Interior Elements Raleigh Office, courtesy of High5 Productions. Furniture provided by Interior Elements.
Relationship with Space
Biophilic design nurtures emotional connections to environments and locations. Purposeful design that utilizes natural elements, especially ones specific to the site and greater context of the project, can create a deep emotional bond with specific spaces. These connections enhance people’s motivation and productivity and inspire us to care for and sustain the places we inhabit.
Image of Interior Elements Charlotte Office, courtesy of High5 Productions. Furniture provided by Interior Elements.
Relationship with People
Humans are a deeply social species; human security and productivity rely on positive spatial interactions. Effective biophilic design strengthens the connection between individuals and their surroundings, fostering a sense of belonging and enhancing feelings of community. This doesn’t mean converting all private working spaces into communal lounge spaces or eliminating private rooms in healthcare spaces; it means deliberately designing spaces to create moments that foster positive interaction and enhance feelings of community.
Image of Interior Elements Raleigh Office, courtesy of High5 Productions. Furniture provided by Interior Elements.
As the human population expands, it is increasingly vital to integrate nature into our built environments to preserve the innate bond between humans and the natural world. Regular interaction with natural elements through biophilic design promotes well-being and ensures that future generations continue to feel connected to nature, perhaps even fostering a sense of responsibility for protecting the places that make our planet extraordinary.
Image of Interior Elements Charleston Office, courtesy of High5 Productions. Furniture provided by Interior Elements.
Biophilic design has many benefits —consider incorporating concepts into your next project. For more information on biophilic design solutions or to be connected to Interior Elements, click here.
