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Biophilic Design
Benefits for Human Connections to Nature
Originally Published in 5 Parts
As our society moves further and further away from agricultural & industrial economies and into the information age, our human need to develop a positive experiential relationship with nature continues to grow. This concept is referred to as biophilia, the positive connection created between human health and nature.
Thus, biophilic design can be described as the concept of bringing buildings to life through their relationship with nature to enhance human experience. Through architectural design we can begin to address some of the physical and mental health benefits associated with biophilic design. Some of these benefits include:
- reduction of stress and anxiety
- enhancement of student learning
- increased worker productivity
- promotion of faster healing of patients
One way to accomplish biophilic design is through thinking about four of our five senses; sight, sound, touch & smell.
Through the sense of sight we might think of accomplishing views of nature and the use of natural daylight to enhance people's relationship with the natural world. Some examples for accomplishing this are:
- Providing views of luscious vegetated gardens from a senior care social hall
- Providing natural light through skylight bathrooms
- Providing southern daylight deep into a library reading area
- Creating a visual connection to time through the solar tracking of shadows in a courtyard (by improving natural light levels we experience the pulsating kaleidoscope of the kinetic sky)
Our biophilic experience with nature can be enhanced through the sense of sound. Sounds within nature can bring a sense of calm and release of stress. Listed below are some possibilities:
- Development of a water wall within an interior court of a shopping center
- Provision of an indoor / outdoor bathroom that permits one to enjoy the sounds of birds singing while bathing
- Creating outdoor dining spaces that allow one to enjoy the calming effect of wind rustling through trees above while enjoying an evening meal in a garden area
The senses of touch and smell can play into biophilic experiences in unique ways. Through these senses one can begin to experience nature in ways that might not always be so obvious. Below are just a few examples:
- Using a man-made tree sculpture or other organic form inside a children's indoor play space to create a sense of the outside being inside
- Using operable windows at a local community hall to permit the smells and breezes of the outdoors to infiltrate the interior of a space
- Using the thermal and aromatic effects of a rammed earth wall at a local outdoor retreat center lobby to create a unique biophilic relationship with nature
Achieving the right balance of biophilic design by understanding potential conflicts between strategies is of major importance as we strive to achieve the human benefits of connecting with nature. And without losing the benefits of climate control and other amenities one can achieve through building design.
As we move towards a more experiential relationship with nature the challenge to incorporate biophilic design and accomplish the comfort levels within buildings we have become accustomed to will only push the technology of the modern building envelope to new and higher levels of performance.
Call MSA today at 210.408.7533 or use the contact form to discover what biophilic design can do for your space.
