Biophilia: What Does it Really Mean to Design with Nature in Mind?

by Alice Vincent

Perhaps you've noticed the vines creeping over your Instagram account, or found yourself craving to bring a tree into your lounge. Maybe you've observed the rise of sustainable, natural materials beginning to fill every area of the home. We're in the midst of a biophilic design revolution – and it's never been more needed.

Biophilia is a broad-ranging concept that reflects humankind's need to interact with and surround themselves with nature and other living things. It extends into many aspects of our lives, from how we like to spend our free time and the pleasure we can get from walking, running or relaxing outdoors, to the idioms we use and how we see ourselves as custodians of the planet. While not the first person to claim the term, American biologist Edward O. Wilson did dedicate an entire book, Biophilia, to the subject in 1984, in which he outlined what it was to live a biophilic life.

Biophilic design, then, is a way of creating buildings, homes and workspaces with nature in mind. Working and living in spaces that have been designed in greater accordance with nature has been shown to have significant impact on our wellbeing. When you consider how the majority of humans spend as much as 90% of their time inside, the importance of biophilic design begins to make sense.

Elements of biophilic design can be seen through history. Take, for instance, the acanthus leaves at the top of Greek temples, or the way that garden courtyards have been built into ancient palaces across the globe. From the tradition of bonsai trees in Japan to the mysterious hanging gardens of Babylon, people across the world have been trying to bring the outside in for centuries.

Before the industrial revolution, humans spent considerably more time interacting with the outdoor world. However, with the rise of industry, factories, workshops and urbanisation, people were increasingly living and working in spaces created to prioritise productivity. Biophilic design can help to restore some of these connections, and it's far more comprehensive than just having a couple of plants around. There are 14 elements of biophilic design, all of which strive to make a space a more pleasant and calming environment by echoing patterns in the natural world. Studies have found that designs that have a sense of both mystery and refuge in them induce pleasure and improve concentration and attention.

Designing spaces with large windows or views of greenery, trees, open parkland and flowering plants is an example of biophilic design, as is installing a living moss wall or large planting installation in an office in the middle of a city. But biophilic design engages with all the senses, so ambient sound, scent and textures inspired by nature in an interior space can also induce feelings of calm and concentration.

To design with biophilia in mind is to also understand the need to prioritise natural light, have areas of running water built into the design and to enable those who use the space to interact with its natural elements, from watering the plants to watching the way that daylight moves around a space.

It may sound ambitious, but there are ways you can embrace biophilic design at home. Why not try situating your furniture around a window, to enjoy the view outside, rather than a television? Or diffusing natural essential oils to encourage a moment of calm? Gathering houseplants together in a scape can create a sense of them as living things, rather than ornaments, and allowing yourself a moment to touch, water and simply admire them is a great way to start living in a more biophilic way.

Alice Vincent is an author, journalist and gardener.