Biophilic Design as a Guiding Principle in Sustainable Design (2024)

FAQs

What is a biophilic design a sustainable approach? ›

This principle of biophilic design emphasizes integrating physical elements of nature into our built environments. Whether through indoor gardens, water features, or even natural materials like wood and stone, this approach helps to bring a piece of the outdoors, indoors.

This principle refers to the structures and laws of the natural world. Biophilic spaces may include patterns found in nature, such as fractals. They may also reflect natural processes, like growth or aging. Whether we recognize it or not, these processes stimulate our senses.

Biophilic design is an approach to architecture that seeks to connect building occupants more closely to nature. Biophilic designed buildings incorporate things like natural lighting and ventilation, natural landscape features and other elements for creating a more productive and healthy built environment for people.

Incorporating direct or indirect elements of nature into the built environment have been demonstrated through research to reduce stress, blood pressure levels and heart rates, whilst increasing productivity, creativity and self reported rates of well-being.

Biophilic design and sustainable design are two well-known design principles that revolve around nature, and yet both have vastly different purposes. Whilst one is dedicated to minimising the impacts on the natural world, the other is committed to maximising the health and happiness of the population.

Biophilic design can be organized into three categories – Nature in the Space, Natural Analogues, and Nature of the Space – providing a framework for understanding and enabling thoughtful incorporation of a rich diversity of strategies into the built environment.

Adding plants to your space is a great first step, but there's much more to biophilia than just greenery—natural shapes, soft tones, and green building material choices are all ways to honor mother nature while reaping your own benefits from a closeness to the natural world.

An effective biophilic design fosters positive and sustained interactions and relationships among people and the natural environment. Humans are a very social species; we feel secure and are more productive when we have positive interactions with each other and with nature in the spaces we inhabit.

Biophilic designs increase occupant connectivity to the natural environment through the use of direct nature, indirect nature, and space and place conditions. This concept has been around since ancient times, but the term was more recently coined in the 1980s.

Biophilic design comprises the 5 senses; sight, smell, touch, taste and hearing. The ultimate goal is to use these in conjunction with each other to create a space which reenergises its occupants and allows for maximum return on investment.

What are the disadvantages of biophilic design? ›

If not properly maintained, natural elements can become unsightly or even hazardous. Allergies: For some employees, exposure to natural elements such as plants or flowers can trigger allergies or other health issues. Space limitations: Biophilic design may not be practical for all workspaces.

: a hypothetical human tendency to interact or be closely associated with other forms of life in nature : a desire or tendency to commune with nature.

Providing green spaces, water features, abundant plants and natural materials creates a host of benefits, including helping to reduce a development's carbon footprint and regulating the temperature of buildings.

Ultimately, biophilic design draws on the fundamental connection people have with nature—and often, their instinct to preserve their own well-being. Providing broad visual access and comfortable, protected spaces naturally helps people feel safe and reduces stress.

A: Biophilic elements such as plants, natural materials, and views of nature can enhance indoor spaces by improving air quality, reducing stress, increasing productivity, and promoting overall wellbeing.

Sustainable design is the approach to creating products and services that have considered the environmental, social, and economic impacts from the initial phase through to the end of life.

A sustainable approach refers to a long-term strategy or method that takes into consideration the economic, social, and environmental factors to address a problem in a way that can be maintained over time.

Sustainable site planning considers long- and short-term costs, human safety, and natural ecosystems . This approach is different from typical site planning because it puts a priority on how residential areas coexist with the land's natural features and systems .

Sustainable urban design is about ways to plan, design, construct and operate the buildings and built environments that will be needed as part of a more sustainable society.