Biophilic design isn't a new concept but has been used for centuries in various ways. This architectural approach has been used worldwide in residential, business, community, government, and religious structures.

As people have become more aware that our daily surroundings strongly impact us, biophilic design has become a hot topic. What is biophilic design, and why do you need it in your space?

Definition of Biophilic Design

Biophilic design is an approach to architectural and interior design that strives to reconnect people within a structure with nature. The goal is to integrate modern architecture and natural materials seamlessly. Simple ways to bring the outside world into the building include introducing natural lighting, views of the outside, and vegetation. Engagement with the natural environment provides mental and physical benefits for people, but the consistent, immersive design is more effective than a random single biophilic installation.

Elements of Biophilic Design

Biophilic design emphasizes three main elements:

1. Direct experience with nature

This element incorporates light, air, water, fire, landscapes, plants, animals, weather, and views. Including a direct experience with nature in biophilic design fulfills individuals' needs to interact with natural elements. Incorporating these elements into interior design within offices and other structures gives the feeling of safety and provides other mental and physical benefits. 

2. Indirect experience with nature

This element is incorporated through materials, texture, colour, shapes, images, organic aging, natural geometries, and biomimicry. An indirect experience with nature attempts to imply or simulate organic, natural features typically found environmentally. Overemphasizing modern, streamlined design can leave an environment feeling sterile and uninspiring, so adding elements that remind individuals of nature helps to provide focal interest to the space. 

3. Experience of space and place

This is the least concrete of the three biophilic design elements. This element focuses on how the space flows, is balanced, and how cohesive the design appears to other people. These elements are the ones that encourage interaction with and attachment to the space they inhabit. 

Benefits of Biophilic Design

Interior biophilic design has at its heart the theory that humans have a biological need to observe and interact with nature. Biophilic design helps promote happiness and well-being. Multiple studies provide corroboration of this benefit of biophilic design.

Biophilic design implementation supports the whole person. Interior biophilic design elements have been shown to increase cognitive performance, positively affect emotion and mood, enhance creativity, reduce stress, and improve healing. With those benefits, it's understandable that incorporating biophilic design in offices has an overall benefit of increased productivity. 

Six Principles of Biophilic Design

Here are six principles of biophilic design: 

1. Environmental features: This form of biophilic design is perhaps the easiest to understand. It's the inclusion of plant life or other natural components within the space. The presence of plants provides stress relief, improves comfort, enhances mood, and prompts healing. 
2. Natural shapes and forms: Natural environments are complex and show that complexity in varying degrees. Vast openness to patterned intricacy and the range of variance we see in nature fuels our need for diversity in our interior spaces. Combining those levels of complexity within a single space fulfills the human desire for the diverse forms we see in a natural environment. 
3. Restorative patterns and processes: Humans have had to manage variable natural environments while responding to sensory inputs. Connecting with sights, sounds, and other sensory stimuli provides respite from the stresses of daily life. 
4. Light and space: This principle focuses on the diversity of light and how it relates to space. Light becomes the key element, and infused natural light becomes the artwork. 
5. Place-based relationships: This principle focuses on the connection with biogeographical elements like mountains, rivers, deserts, estuaries, and plants. Inspiration comes from the natural and particularly reflects colour and light. 
6. Evolved human-nature relationships: These relationships between people and nature help elicit the feeling of refuge or safe retreat. 

Final Thoughts 

Biophilic design honours the human desire to interact with nature. It's an architectural concept used in the interior design of residential and commercial spaces. It encompasses more than simply adding a plant to the room. It uses plant life and other organic materials with a set design purpose to help fulfill humans' biological needs to interact with nature.