Visualize walking into the space where you work, whether a sleek, urban building or a straightforward, neutral office. Now, imagine that space transformed with things from nature – perhaps a living wall of vines, breathtaking murals, natural stone and wood textures, water features, and airy, natural light.
DO YOU FEEL MORE PEACEFUL? MORE ENERGIZED?
MORE READY TO GET THINGS DONE?
Biophilic design is based on the essential desire to improve the human experience through our environments, incorporating elements of nature into man-made spaces. When we embrace biophilic design in environmental graphics, we integrate natural elements to enhance our connection with nature, encourage calm and stability, and promote well-being.
HOW DOES BIOPHILIC DESIGN WORK?
Biophilic design emphasizes how incorporating nature experiences into designed environments – especially interior and urban spaces – can support the physical, emotional, and mental health of the people using or passing through those spaces.
Stephen Kellert, an acclaimed social ecologist, coined the term ‘biophilic design’ and offered a core framework consisting of three dimensions designed to harmonize human needs with nature:
- Direct experience of nature: Direct encounters with natural elements. This includes using natural light and weather observance, air flow, water features, plants, the presence of animals (i.e., aquariums, bird feeders, gardens, etc.), and more.
- Indirect experience of nature: Representations of nature, but not the elements themselves. This includes environmental graphics depicting natural settings. Geometries, shapes, colors, materials, and patterns used in design also fall under this dimension.
- Experience of space and place: Elements of design that provide psychological and emotional attachments. This category includes elements of prospect and refuge, organized complexity, integration of parts to wholes, transitional spaces, mobility and wayfinding, and cultural and ecological attachment to place.
According to Kellert, another approach to biophilic design considers designs in six dimensions: environmental features, natural shapes and forms, natural patterns and processes, light and space, place-based relationships, and evolved human relationships to nature. 2
Of course, sustainable materials and technologies further enhance respect for and harmony with nature. These include living walls, eco-friendly paints and printing materials, digital nature displays, natural and ethically sourced materials, and more. The more sustainable and thoughtful the processes and materials are, the more authentic – and effective – the biophilic design is.
Environmental graphics are a popular choice for organizations looking to incorporate biophilic design
with indirect experiences of nature. Beautifully designed graphics can evoke natural vistas or calm, natural shapes and patterns that are emotionally satisfying to all who encounter them. When printed using sustainable materials and processes, these graphics enhance the sense of responsibility and connection with nature.
BENEFITS AND CHALLENGES
Biophilic design has been proven to have several health benefits for those who experience such spaces. In one academic study, researchers found that exposure to natural elements improved mental health 37% faster after exposure to stressors;3 another literature review found that including plant and water elements can reduce stress and improve mental health.4 On a larger scale, biophilic cities were found to encourage greater social connectivity and resilience while reducing rates of crime and aggression.5
Biophilic design elements can promote desirable outcomes like positivity, productivity, and overall satisfaction as more organizations bring employees back to the office. Biophilic designs also integrate with corporate sustainability policies. These designs embrace a 360-degree approach to sustainability by utilizing more sustainable and natural materials and processes and encouraging environmentally friendly practices.
Space and budget constraints are common concerns, but the flexibility of biophilic design means there are ‘levels’ of options. Perhaps your building and budget can’t accommodate large gardens and water features, but you can add some environmental graphics, planters, and improved use of natural light. Just as nature itself varies to thrive in different environments, biophilic design can conform to any requirements.
WHAT’S NEXT IN BIOPHILIC DESIGN?
Construction materials, print and environmental graphics, and more will continue to advance and provide complex, creative solutions for incorporating nature. Advanced sustainable materials allow designers and builders to create environments that evoke nature and support it. Even computer technology has gotten in on the game, creating virtual natural environments or incorporating VR and AR technology into traditional approaches like printed graphics.
The future is going green in unexpected ways, and bringing the natural world into the working world can have remarkable positive effects on us all. When you create a welcoming environment that embraces human harmony with nature, you’re contributing to well-being, happiness, and productivity – and reminding us all that there’s so much more to discover both inside and outside these office walls.
1. Kellert, Stephen R., and Elizabeth F. Calabrese. “The Practice of Biophilic Design.” 2015, https://biophilicdesign.umn.edu/sites/biophilic-net-positive.umn.edu/files/2021-09/2015_Kellert%20_The_Practice_of_Biophilic_Design.pdf.
2. “Biophilia Becomes a Design Standard.” Architect, 26 July 2012, https://www.architectmagazine.com/practice/biophilia-becomes-a-design-standard_o.
3. Ryan, Catherine O., et al. “Biophilic design patterns: Emerging nature-based parameters for health and well-being in the built environment.” International Journal of Architectural Research Archnet-IJAR July 2014, 8(2):62-76.
4. Gillis, Kaitlyn, and Birgitta Gatersleben. “A Review of Psychological Literature on the Health and Wellbeing Benefits of Biophilic Design.” Buildings 2015, 5(3), 948-963; https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings5030948.
5. Dannenberg, Andrew L., et al., eds. Making Healthy Places: Designing and Building for Health, Well-being, and Sustainability. Island Press: Washington, DC, 2011.
