Ever heard of Biophilic Design?
It’s a design trend that incorporates natural elements into a project. In addition to vegetation, it also uses other strategies such as mimicking organic shapes and colors that are found in nature and maximizing the use of natural light, for example.
In an increasingly technological world and with an expanding urbanization, our contact with nature is more and more limited. As we spend most of our time indoors, biophilic design emerges as a solution to rescue our contact with the outside world.
Principles and benefits
Biophilic Design takes a holistic approach to design. Also known as Biophilia, which means “love of living things”, it reinforces the idea that men have the instinct to recover an ancestral contact with nature in order to seek comfort.
We will never be truly healthy, satisfied, or fulfilled if we live apart and alienated from the environment from which we evolved. – Stephen R. Kellert on Birthright: People and Nature in the Modern World
Nature can be experienced directly or indirectly:
Direct experience: means direct contact with nature, like framing the view and using natural light, or introducing elements that exist in nature, such as water and plants. The use of organic shapes and natural materials can also provide this experience.
Indirect experience: explores sensations related to the memory of nature, like using colors and images that refer to it. These strategies can also refer more subtly to the sensations that nature provides, as a haven or a place for meditating.
Besides bringing beauty to the space, this trend promotes a sense of tranquility and well-being and with it, many benefits. In workspaces we can see a reduction of stress levels and an increase is in productivity and creativity.
Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation’s Grand Auditorium MAAT’s Museum Rooftop
Introducing Biophilic Design into your interior design project
Want to include natural elements in your space and don't know where to start? Plants are a good first step. To succeed we need to use natural light in our favor.
Start by analyzing the light in your environment: if it is low or abundant; whether the sunlight is direct or indirect; what is the period of sun exposure - only in the morning or in the afternoon, for example. Next, you need to take into account the time you want to dedicate to caring for your plants. There are species that don’t need to be watered every day, others that require more care.
A good plant for beginners is the Snake Plant. It can be used both outdoors and indoors. It is a low maintenance plant as it requires little watering. In indoor spaces, the Devil’s Ivy is a very common hanging plant because it is easy to care for and has a fast growth.
But to grow healthy every plant always needs some natural light, even if indirect. So, avoid leaving them in interior spaces without windows.
The main thing, as with interior design, is not having a standard solution. A personalized search for the most suitable plant can save you work and make your space more pleasant and beautiful.
Terrace from our project Mata19 Office from our project Ribeiro5
Count on us to help you
Want a solution to connect your space with nature? Biophilic Design is one of the concepts that itsk.studio uses to increase well-being in its environments. In addition to introducing vegetation and enhancing natural light, we use many natural materials in our projects.
The choice of materials is an important step. The option for natural and local materials, in addition to being sustainable, helps to reflect the local nature in its environment. We are here to help to develop a custom solution for you.
