What is Biophilic Design?

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What is Biophilic Design?

Biophilia focuses on human’s innate attraction to nature and natural processes. It suggests that we all have a genetic connection to the natural world built up through hundreds of thousands of years of living in agrarian settings.

Edward O. Wilson introduced and popularized the hypothesis in his book, Biophilia (1984). He defines biophilia as “the urge to affiliate with other forms of life”.

Biophilic Design uses these ideas as principles to create a human centred approach that when applied improves many of the spaces that we live and work in today, with numerous benefits to our health and well-being.

What are the benefits of Biophilic Design?

There have been numerous studies over the last 35 years on the benefits to the built environment through improving a connection to nature.

Office design: productivity, creativity and rates of well-being can be increased, along with reduced absenteeism
Hospitality design: Guests willing to pay more for rooms with views of Biophilic elements
Education spaces: increased rates of learning, improved test results, concentration levels and attendance, reduced impacts of ADHD
Healthcare spaces: post-operative recovery times decreased and reduced pain medication
Retail: the presence of vegetation & landscaping has been found to increase average rental rates on retail spaces with customers indicating they were willing to pay 8-12 % more for goods and services.

Who uses biophilic designs?

Biophilic design can have a dramatic effect on our working life so it comes as no surprise that the big companies are investing heavily in biophilic design, these include Apple, Amazon and Facebook.

We are starting to see more healthcare providers are incorporating biophilic design, according to several studies, the humanisation of healthcare spaces and contact with nature can empower the patient and have a positive impact by reducing stress and pain and improving emotional wellbeing.

At The Green Office, we specialise in helping businesses improve their workplace with office plants and living walls.