What is Biophilia?

Biophilia is a term used to describe our deeply rooted, emotional connection to nature, natural systems and living things. It explains that, because humans evolved in natural environments, access to quality nature is essential to our happiness and sense of belonging.

Have you ever walked through a forest and felt an increasing sense of calm and relaxation – of being at one with nature? Or exhilarated by jumping into the sea? The sense of awe at having climbed to the peak of mountain? You know that feeling of connection, of an inexplainable sense of belonging? Well, that is biophilia.

What is Biophilic Design and why is it important?

Biophilic design is the process of integrating nature and natural systems into the built environment to elicit a positive physical and mental response. As a result, it uses our connection with nature to create spaces that benefit human health and wellbeing in a variety of ways, and an expanding body of evidence exists to support this.

By 2050, we expect about 70% of people to be living in cities. That equates to about 2.5 billion new occupants. This will place increasing pressure on city infrastructure and the need to ensure it offers residents a healthy, happy and productive place to live.

By incorporating direct and indirect experiences of nature into the built environment, we can begin to realise the many health and wellbeing benefits that biophilic design has been proven to achieve. These include, increased productivity, faster healing times, reduced staff turnover, enhanced creativity and reduced stress.

What are the benefits of Biophilic Design?

Biophilic Design is an evidence-based approach, using numerous studies undertaken over the last 30 years. These demonstrate the benefits to an enhanced nature approach, as a means to reducing negative costs (i.e., absenteeism, staff turnover sickness) and improve built environment outcome (social cohesion, productivity engagement user experience).

The evidence reveals,

·       Office productivity can be increased by 8%

·       Rates of employee well-being can improve by 13%

·       Increased job satisfaction and employment longevity

·       Reductions in employee absenteeism and presenteeism

·       Hotel guests are willing to pay 23% more for rooms with biophilic views

·       Reduced stress in hospital visitor’s wayfinding experience

·       Quicker healing times for patients and reduced need for medication

·       Increased rates of learning at schools by 20-25%

·       Improved test results and concentration levels at schools

·       Increased resilience in local community

·       A reduction in neighbourhood crime

·       Increased property value

Implementing Biophilic Design

Biophilic design can be applied across a variety of scales, all the way from interior and products to city-wide, to create a rich and rewarding multi-sensory experience of space across a variety of timelines.

To successfully implement biophilic design into the built environment we must consider both its qualitative and quantitative aspects. It has an array of attributes that can be used to transform spaces, such as the use of direct experiences of nature (i.e. water, plants, animals and weather), indirect experiences of nature (i.e. images of nature, natural colours and natural shapes or forms) and the experience of the space (i.e. prospect, retreat, mobility and wayfinding, risk and intrigue or creating an ecological attachment to the place).

The suggestion is not to squeeze all attributes into one space but to recognise which could bring about the best qualitative outcomes: this being the deepest, emotional connection with nature. This can be done by identifying the attributes that best work with the activity of the space to achieve the desired outcome.

1.       Repeated and sustained engagement with nature

2.       Focus on human adaptations to the natural world that over evolutionary time have advanced people’s health, fitness and wellbeing

3.       Encouraging an emotional attachment to particular settings and places

4.       Promoting positive interactions between people and nature that encourages an expanded sense of relationship and responsibility for the human and natural communities

5.       Encouraging mutual reinforcing, interconnected and integrated architectural solutions

What is Biophilic Urbanism?

Biophilic urbanism describes the application of biophilic design on a city scale. The idea is to make nature an integral part of the city in order that more people have access to it more regularly.

To achieve biophilic urbanism we must consider the above attributes and principles; ensure continuity and connectivity of design; and play to local strengths and optimise local assets.

This next step to implementing biophilic design takes a holistic view and has scope to significantly change the way that cities are designed, the impacts they have on people and how they benefit the natural world.

Ends

[1] https://www.researchgate.net/publication/321959928_The_Practice_of_Biophilic_Design