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INDUSTRY VIEWFINDER
something else holding architects/clients back from fully embracing biophilic design. We also asked respondents whether their experience of working with biophilic design had been positive or negative, and reasons why. 51% said it had been positive, with many of the verbatim comments relating to the wellness and environmental benefi ts. One said: “It is a return to natural things rather than exploitation of resources,” and another commented that it provides a “better fi nal product and better environment for the building.” A third comment referred to the fact it meant “the building is more sustainable.” One respondent said their positive experience was down to both the environmental benefi t and client feedback, saying they “feel like they are making a difference, and users like it.” Another benefi t of biophilic design is the positive impact it can have on reducing indoor pollutants. Plants, living walls and natural materials can all absorb pollutants in the air and improve air quality. We asked respondents whether they would be interested in using biophilia explicitly to tackle indoor pollutants, and half said they would; one commented that it would help them achieve BREEAM or WELL Certifi cation.
Clients & end users
While clients do appear to have at least a partial understanding of the benefi ts, with only 36% of clients demonstrating some cynicism, what they are perhaps lacking is an understanding of the economic benefi ts biophilic design can offer, given that so many seemingly cite cost or budget as a reason for not employing it. We asked our respondents what more needs to be done to spread the word that it is an economic as well as wellness benefi t for clients, selecting all answers that apply. The most selected was ‘scientifi c studies in UK workplaces’ (58%), which would imply that ultimately clients want statistics and data as evidence that it’s worth investing in. The next two most selected answers were ‘architects advocating for biophilic design’ (44%) and ‘clients advocating for biophilic design’ (40%), which shows that simply having more people talking about it and its benefi ts could prove to be a big encouragement. With many of the benefi ts of biophilic design cited relating to boosting productivity and mental wellbeing, it’s no surprise that the most popular sector in which architects are currently employing it is workplaces (60%). The second most selected answer was ‘houses’ with 51% choosing this, suggesting that perhaps architects are currently seeing it specifi ed more by private clients, rather than those working on commercial projects. This could be down to the simple fact that individuals working on their own home are generally more willing to spend money without the same concern regarding return on investment.
The uptake in other sectors was much lower, such as public & cultural buildings (34%), retail (28%), hotels & bars (28%), heritage buildings (26%), and education buildings (25%). This would again suggest that more could and should be done to educate stakeholders on the benefi ts of biophilic design to encourage uptake across a broader range of sectors.
Measuring ROI
Arguably one of the biggest obstacles when persuading clients to consider biophilic design is the cost involved, and whether they are likely to see a return on investment. Given the nature of biophilia this is never going to be easy to quantify, but despite this 10% of our cohort said they have managed to measure return on
WWW.ARCHITECTSDATAFILE.CO.UK What bio-based materials are you specifying?
investment for their commercial clients. Of those, 60% said the return was 10-20%, and 40% said it was a substantial ROI of 30-40%. With the many benefi ts on offer for staff, one possible reason for the scoring could be savings from by better staff retention (with associated reduced recruitment costs) as well as overall increased productivity. If these fi gures are accurate, and more return on investment calculated for projects moving forward, this could be a huge selling point for biophilic design and a big step towards convincing clients it’s worth investing in.
Conclusion
From our survey it seems that attitudes and thoughts towards biophilic design are somewhat mixed. While many understand the benefi ts on offer, there is clearly still some cynicism towards it, with some describing it as merely a “buzzword” with a perception that it possibly lacks credibility and can be a somewhat ‘fl uffy’ concept. Many architects seem to be experiencing a lack of backing from clients to pursue biophilic design, largely due to a lack of understanding of what it actually comprises and also uncertainty about whether it’s worth the initial investment. However where architects have successfully implemented it, feedback from clients has been positive, and the health and wellness benefi ts recognised. In the few cases where return on investment has been measured it has also proved incredibly successful, and if more projects can be measured in the same manner this could go a huge way towards helping make the case for biophilic design elements. Successfully including biophilic design across more sectors and projects means putting a compelling case to clients to convince them of its benefi ts. Part of this will mean from both wellbeing and environmental perspectives, more scientifi c studies need to be undertaken in workplaces in particular to show the tangible benefi ts; one of several clear fi ndings from our survey.
For the full version of the Industry Viewfi nder white paper report, visit
insights.netmagmedia.co.uk
ADF JANUARY 2025
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