ARCHITECTURAL COLLABORATIVE

Summer blog series by Rachel Huff, entering freshman in the UGA College of Environment & Design and participant in Arcollab’s Foundations in Design after school program

Images below from: https://www.40-44sayrespath.com

 

Now that we have a basic understanding of what biophilic design is, we can start looking at real world examples. I’ve enjoyed looking at some beautiful homes as I research this topic, and today I want to focus on 40 Sayres Path, a 9 bed and 10 bath home located in the Hamptons in New York. This house has many biophilic elements and is a fun place to start when looking at examples of biophilic design.

The first thing to note about this house is its windows. Almost every room in this house has floor to ceiling windows which not only helps bring in natural lighting but also provides a view to the outside. The house is surrounded by gardens, fountains, and ponds and the views from inside the house are focused on these outdoor elements. Along the same vein as windows, the house also uses skylights which bring natural light in from above as well.

40 Sayres path also incorporates a lot of natural materials and colors in the interior. In many of the main living spaces, the walls are lined with a light wood paneling. The use of wood helps the home feel more in tune with nature and the light color of the wood helps the home feel more light and pleasant to be in.

As I said before, the landscape surrounding the house is full of water features and gardens. Having greenery circle the house does a lot to bring the home closer to nature especially when the house’s windows provide views of these features. The house also has many outdoor living areas so the gardens can be enjoyed both inside and out. Some parts of the home even have greenery on the roof which, while you might not be able to see it from the inside, still adds to the biophilic effect of the house. The water features and gardens do a great job making the house feel embedded in nature.

I hope you agree that 40 Sayres Path is an interesting example of biophilic design. Almost every attribute of biophilic design that I described in earlier posts is used in some way in this house, and it is easy to see the appeal that these attributes have created in the house. In my next post I am going to explore the biophilic design elements of another residence.