What Is Biophilic Design and Why Is It Trending for 2023?

What is biophilic design?

The concept comes from the term 'biophilia', which Harvard naturalist Dr. Edward O. Wilson described as humanity's "innate tendency to focus on life and lifelike processes." Basically, it refers to the human tendency to interact with other forms of life. In design, biophilic design is all about bringing the outdoors in to enhance connectivity to the natural environment.

The overall goal is to enhance well-being, health, and productivity by creating a relaxing environment with a visual link to nature. It aims to create harmony with nature and resonate with humans' inner desire to connect with it.

Benefits of biophilic design

Being immersed in nature can bring both clarity and tranquillity to our minds. But the vast majority of us spend a significant proportion of our lives indoors. This is where biophilic design can help give us the best of both worlds.

Biophilic design goes beyond aesthetics. Whether it's at home or in your workspace, the advantage of it is that it can reduce stress, enhance creativity, and ultimately help the well-being of its occupants. A study published in Environmental International found that biophilic environments had larger restorative impacts than non-biophilic environments in terms of reducing physiological stress and psychological anxiety level.

Embracing green building ideas has the potential to reduce the effects of CO2 emissions, increase the biodiversity of plants and wildlife, and help regulate indoor temperatures. This is not to say that adding a few indoor plants and some nature-inspired wallpaper will remotely assist the climate crisis!

When you consider whether you'd prefer being in a room that had a lovely view outdoors, plenty of greenery within, and made you feel connected to the environment in some way, versus a room with low natural light and few natural elements, the vast majority of us would pick the former. Not all of us have the luxury of sweeping views, large gardens or balconies, but implementing some of the aforementioned elements can boost our mood and make us feel more connected with life outside our homes.