d44 BIOPHILIC DESIGN
This Cesar Maxima 2.2 kitchen benefits from stunning views of the trees outside thanks to the floor-to-ceiling windows that let in natural light
The roof terrace of Hotel Sanders in Copenhagen is a space full of plants, natural materials and natural light
Immersion bathtub and washbasin from Agape, designed by Neri & Hu
an innate biological connection with nature which has existed since man’s very earliest days surviving from the land and living as one with nature.
T
MAR 2015
AUG 2019
Throughout history we have seen nature themes incorporated into the earliest human structures and the consistency with which this occurs dispels any misapprehension that biophilic design – the process of designing nature back into the built environment – is a new phenomenon.
Frank Lloyd Wright was an American architect, interior designer, writer, and educator, who believed in designing structures that were in harmony with humanity and its environment, a philosophy he called “organic
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he word biophilia originates from the Greek words for Life (Bios) and Love (Philia). It literally means a love of life or living things. As humans, we have
architecture”. Whilst this does not encapsulate all the tenants of what we now tend to identify as biophilic design, it does provide a starting point from which we can explore this more recent design trend.
“Study nature, love nature, stay close to nature. It will never fail you,” is something that Wright is known to have taught to his students. Whilst organic architecture can be seen as a precursor to biophilic design, the term was actually coined in 1964 by social psychologist Eric Fromm and later popularised by biologist Edward Wilson in his 1984 book Biophilia in which he defines biophilia as “the urge to affiliate with other forms of life”.
It is only really in the past few centuries that the human species has become predominantly urban dwelling. This shift from countryside to city environment has had a dehumanising effect and has caused a persistent disconnect from nature. It is projected that by 2050,
66% of the developed world will be urbanised, and increasingly distanced from nature and natural systems.
Add to this modern society’s dependency on technology and it is easy to see why our mental health and wellbeing are suffering. There is today, a direct correlation between the increasing urbanisation of our society and rising stress rates. In fact, stress has been called the “health epidemic of the 21st century” by the World Health Organisation.
Whilst the science supporting biophilic design is still emerging, it is now being championed as a complementary strategy for addressing many of the familiar challenges to health and wellbeing. Alexander Bond is the Founder of Biophilic Designs, a company that supplies and installs the latest biophilic design products. He says: “Biophilic design has the power to improve the built environment in almost every sector imaginable, for
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