As a human species, we’ve evolved a lot. Our modern way of life dictates certain things and because of this, we must find the ways to fully adapt. We are tied to the living world around us, and all of us can benefit quite significantly from nature. That’s where biophilic design comes to play.
Biophilia means love of nature. It represents the attraction people feel towards natural processes and nature itself. Biophilia is perfectly natural and it comes from our ancestral connection to nature as the only way of survival. The term was popularized during the 1980’s when over-urbanization started to take hold. As there is a need to stay connected to nature, biophilic design became somewhat necessary for our well-being as a species.
We did a bit of researching and we’ve come up with this short guide through biophilic design. We wanted to help point you in the right direction when it comes to applications of biophilic design. So, without further ado, let’s get straight to it.
How Relevant Biophilic Design Really Is?
Quite a lot of experts agree that stress-related illnesses and disorders are on the rise. There are a lot of studies that show a correlation between distancing ourselves from nature and elevation of stress levels. When you stop to think about it, it shouldn’t come as a surprise. Exposure to so much technology, daily routines, workplaces, and even the way we spend our free time all separate us from nature, which can result in quite a lot of stress.
Using biophilic elements in your immediate surroundings can have a positive effect on you. With natural elements surrounding you, your blood pressure drops, heart rate is reduced, as well as stress and anxiety levels. On the other hand, your overall productivity and motivation are elevated. Your creativity and cognitive thinking are also on the rise, so we can agree that all these factors make biophilic design quite important in a modern environment.
Benefits of Biophilic Design
Let’s talk about biophilic design in a workplace and see the benefits from employees’ perspective first. As part of a workforce, you focus on completing as much as you can during the day. In most cases, you get rewarded for your productivity, creativity, and sometimes even for your additional motivation. All of these things are quite affected when the working area is completely devoid of nature. This leads to general dissatisfaction and you stop enjoying what you do. Your working place has become somewhat of a prison. This is what pushes many employees to seek other opportunities.
As an employer, things might seem a bit different, but in their foundation, they are not. Yes, it’s true you will need to define a budget and remodel your offices; it’s true you will have to spend some time and resources on improving your business space with biophilic design, but you can gain quite a lot. With biophilic design, your surroundings are more appealing to both your workers, as well as your clients and potential visitors. With it, you can boost your workers’ productivity, as well as emphasize your brand and your own creativity.
Implementing Biophilic Design
The first thing you need to understand with the implementation of the biophilic design is that you really need to consider everyone’s needs beforehand. Whether it’s a company or your home, you can’t simply take up the first space you think of and turn it into a garden. You need to understand how space works in your company and have a clear picture of what you want to achieve.
Divide space, arrange a small garden, and make sure you have all the necessary equipment like a high-quality water hose for watering your natural design elements; you might need sprinklers or similar gardening equipment. Make sure you have a solid plan of all the elements for implementation of a biophilic design. Do your research and contact professional gardeners and landscapers, they can help you quite a lot.
Photo by Georgia de Lotz on Unsplash
Biophilic design has become very important in our modern way of life. It represents our connection to nature, as well as helps us feel better and more focused. All of the tips from this short guide can help you understand what biophilic design can do for you. Whether you’re a business owner, employee, or homeowner, there are loads of benefits for you in a biophilic design. It’s only up to you to find the best way to try it out for yourself.
