For years modern buildings mostly focused on efficiency and making the best use of available space, but biophilic design takes a slightly different approach to this old way of doing things. It basically aims to reconnect people with nature by bringing natural light, planting and organic materials into the built environment. The idea is pretty simple: people generally feel better in spaces that don’t feel entirely separate from the natural world.
Bringing the outdoors into everyday spaces
Biophilic design can take many forms, with elements like large windows, internal courtyards, green roofs and natural materials all being your classic biophilic features. Living walls have also become really popular, especially in towns and cities where outdoor space is limited. It’s a great thing all round, because access to daylight and greenery has been linked with improved wellbeing, while planting can help support biodiversity and improve air quality.
A growing part of modern architecture
Everyone’s thinking about sustainability these days, so architects try to find ways to incorporate nature into both new developments and older buildings. Local companies, like a Monmouth architect for example, like this one www.hillsandcompany.co.uk/, have loads of these kinds of ideas during the design process.
Rather than treating nature as something separate from architecture, the two are viewed as working together.
Biophilic design is not really about following a trend, it’s more about incorporating wellbeing into designs so builds feel light, calm and connected to their surroundings. As towns and cities grow, creating that connection with nature is going to become even more important.