Bring home biophilic design

Using natural materials, light and plants in a modern built environment is a proven way to good health

COVID upended life as we knew it, tethering us to home and hearth as we had never been. While nature regenerated itself, we woke up to the importance of the outdoors in our daily life. Now, many of us are still working from home and missing the time that we spent outdoors. Reason enough to want to bring the outdoors inside and re-embrace biophilic design.

Edward Wilson, in his 1984 book  Biophilia, wrote that humans have a natural, evolutionary tendency to affiliate with the natural world and suggested that human beings “subconsciously seek a deeper connection to all that is alive and natural”.

Nature-inspired design is nothing new, but it has re-emerged strongly post-pandemic as more of us look for natural surrounds. “Biophilic design becomes even more important in the post-COVID world as it ushers parts of the natural world into our buildings and brings home the healing powers of nature,” says Sonali Desai, a Vadodara-based architect. The designer adds that it makes way for more natural light to illuminate indoor spaces, allows us to partake of views of nature, plants, and animals from our windows, and incorporates natural patterns, textures, and materials into a building’s overall structure. “Essentially, this kind of design increases our connection to the natural world, promoting health, happiness, harmony, and productivity,” she adds.

In 2008, Stephen R. Kellert, explained biophilic design in his book  Biophilic Design: The Theory, Science, and Practice of Bringing Buildings to Life as “an approach that fosters beneficial contact between people and nature in modern buildings and landscapes”.

Since then, biophilic design, which incorporates natural materials and light, vegetation, views of nature, and other connections to nature into the modern built environment, has become one of the enduring trends in interior design. But why is the design philosophy — supported by award-winning documentary  Biophilic Designs: The Architecture of Life — such a strong need in today’s times?

The average person spends close to 90% of their time indoors, at home and work, according to the U.S. Environment Protection Agency. A 2009 study by the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health reveals that human-constructed spaces entirely divorced from the natural world can act as a ‘discord’ with potentially damaging psychological and even physical health effects.

Here’s how you can make biophilic design a part of your rooms and spaces: