The term “biophilic” comes from the Greek word “bios” (meaning “life”) and “philia” (meaning “love”) and refers to the innate human desire for connection to nature.
The biophilic design’s main idea is to bring the “out-of-doors” inside and connect with nature.
It is a part of the sustainability process, which has been a struggle with the post-modern architectural industry, which includes hermetically sealed environments where mechanical systems dominate the living and working environments, such as skyscrapers and office buildings.
What are Biophilic Elements/Biophilic Design?
Biophilic design incorporates elements of nature into the built environment to improve the well-being and health of the people who live and work in it.
Biophilic design can take many forms, depending on a space’s specific goals and needs. It produces places that seamlessly combine built and natural components.
Buildings become more sustainable and can extend the lives of their occupants by incorporating natural stimuli. Being in a pleasant, natural environment is less stressful than a cut-and-dried, uniformly artificial environment.
Why should you incorporate biophilic elements in home designs?
Are there any actual benefits of biophilic home design?
What are some examples of biophilic elements?
We will cover all these and more in this article. Let’s dive in!
Why Use Biophilic Elements in Home Design
The biophilic home design merges the concept of city life as a combination of urbanism, evolution, technology, and the natural environment. Even in the busiest cities, it allows us to experience nature and feel a part of it.
Green infrastructure may increase plant and animal biodiversity, reduce CO2 emissions, and even control building temperature.
Following the pandemic, more people are working from home, as found by research on homes of the future. Therefore, biophilic design can assist us in making a healthy, productive, and motivational home office environment.
Benefits of Biophilic Home Design
Biophilic design can provide a range of benefits to the people living and working in such spaces. Some potential benefits of biophilic home design include the following:
Improved Physical Health
Being in nature or surrounded by natural elements has been linked to reduced stress and improved mental health. This can have various physical health benefits, including reduced blood pressure and improved immune function.
Incorporating plants and other green elements into the home can improve air quality, helping to reduce the presence of toxins and other harmful substances in the air. Having outdoor spaces or opportunities for outdoor activities in biophilic design can encourage physical activity, which can improve overall physical health.
Improved Mental Health
Natural elements reduce stress and improve mental health due to nature’s calming and soothing effect on the mind. Being in nature also has been linked to improved mood and reduced symptoms of depression and anxiety, a sense of enhanced well-being, and overall happiness.
According to the International Journal Of Environmental Research And Public Health, indoor plants have significant attention-holding power, causing positive mental effects.
Enhanced Productivity
Biophilic design has been shown to improve focus and productivity due to the calming effect of nature on the mind and the ability of natural elements to reduce distractions.
Natural elements, such as natural light and materials, can create a more comfortable and welcoming environment, allowing you to improve focus.
Biophilic design can positively impact productivity, including improved focus, reduced stress, improved mood, and increased physical activity.
The International Journal Of Advances In Chemical Engineering states that natural light strongly influences cognition and learning, two major components that increase productivity.
Examples of Biophilic Elements
Some examples of how you can use natural elements in architecture include:
Natural Materials
Using natural materials like wood, stone, and clay in the home can create a sense of warmth and connection to the natural world. Incorporating water features like a small fountain or pond can provide a calming and soothing effect.
Wood is a natural material that can be used in various ways in biophilic design, including furniture, flooring, and decorative elements.
Stone, such as granite or marble, can be used in flooring, countertops, and walls to create a natural, earthy feel.
Clay can be used to construct walls, floors, and decorative elements and provide a warm, natural look and feel.
Bamboo is a sustainable and renewable resource used in flooring, furniture, and decorative elements.
Natural Lighting
Incorporating large windows that allow natural light to enter the home can create a bright and open feeling and provide a connection to the outdoors.
Skylights can bring natural light into a space that may not have windows, such as a hallway or bathroom. Light tubes are a type of skylight that uses a tube to bring natural light into a space, even if the space is not directly under a skylight.
Like light tubes, solar tubes are a type of skylight that uses a reflective surface to bring natural light into a space. Light wells, a vertical window that allows natural light to enter a space from above, can also be used as a source of natural lighting.
Plants & Greenery
Incorporating plants, gardens, and other green spaces into the home can help improve air quality and provide a sense of connection to nature. Creating outdoor spaces, such as balconies, patios, or rooftop gardens, can provide a connection to the natural world and opportunities for outdoor activities.
Various indoor plants, such as ferns, succulents, and bamboo, can improve air quality and provide a sense of warmth and greenery to a space.
Vertical gardens, also known as green walls, are a way to incorporate plants into a space in a vertical orientation. They can create a focal point, add color and texture to a space, and improve air quality.
Living walls are similar to vertical gardens but typically made up of smaller plants or herbs grown in a hydroponic system. Rooftop gardens can be used to create outdoor spaces that provide a connection to the natural world and opportunities for outdoor activities.
Window boxes can include indoor plants without taking up much room. They can be used to add color and greenery to windows or balconies.
Final Thoughts
Sustainability, eco-friendly structures, and natural materials are what people now look for in their homes and offices. There is a prevalent trend for biophilia, and people are drawn to patterns and colors that make them feel close to nature.
Biophilic designs can include natural materials like wood, bamboo, clay, or stones. They offer innumerable benefits, including uplifting physical and mental health and improved productivity.
