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

 

Humans are increasingly disconnected from the natural world and biophilic design seeks to remedy that. Bringing humans closer to nature through design has many benefits. It can increase productivity, increase both mental and physical health, and is more sustainable for the environment. In this post I will take a deeper look into these benefits and how the use of biophilic design can impact them.

Humans evolved in the natural world so it is not a surprise that we find ourselves happier and healthier when we have some connection with nature. Many studies have been conducted about the effects biophilic design has on human health. Through these studies it has been shown that experience of nature can lower blood pressure, and reduce stress. Studies have also been done to show that having a view of nature in a hospital room can increase the speed of recovery in patients.

Biophilic design can also increase the productivity of the people using the space. A room with lots of natural lighting, art works, and a stimulating layout is much more pleasant to work in than a closed off cubicle at the back of a drab office. Biophilic design makes spaces more pleasant to be in and a place that is more pleasant for people to be in is a place where people will be more productive.

The positive environmental effects of biophilic design are also important to note. With the rapid urbanization we are experiencing, having spaces that incorporate nature in them helps to negate some of the negative effects urbanization has, especially in cities. Another environmental benefit of biophilic design is the awareness it raises, when people have more exposure to nature they are more likely to want to protect it. 

In this post I have listed some of the benefits biophilic design contributes to people and the environment. These benefits make it clear why biophilic design is such a good concept to use when creating a space.

Now that I have gone over the benefits of biophilic design as well as the main attributes, in my next few posts I will explore some examples of projects that have used biophilic design.