Biophilic design: Everything you need to know

Summary:

• Biophilic design is an innovative approach to architecture and urban planning that focuses on reconnecting people with the natural world.
• The biophilia hypothesis suggests that humans have an innate tendency to seek connections with nature, which is essential for our mental and physical health.
• Long before it had a name, the essence of biophilic design was embedded in architecture across cultures for thousands of years.
• By incorporating biophilic design principles, buildings can become more sustainable, energy-efficient, and supportive of human health, ultimately creating a positive impact on the built and the natural environment and modern society.

Not too long ago, the words 'design of the future' might have conjured images of austere concrete and steel structures devoid of color, let alone green spaces. We saw the architectural landscape of the future as indifferent, if not hostile, to our innate human need to be connected with the natural environment.

Biophilic design was born and continues to grow as a counterbalance to this vision of the future. In this article, I'll be sharing its historic roots, the health benefits of living and working amongst the natural world, and trends to look out for in the future.

Introduction to biophilic design

Biophilia is a design ethos that emphasizes the integration of natural elements into urban development and the built environment to enhance the mental health, well-being, and productivity of its occupants. This could be by way of maximizing natural light, airflow, and natural materials or including natural features in interior spaces such as plants, vegetation, or water.

Core to the Biophilic Design philosophy is that humans are part of the natural world and that the built environment should nurture us as such. This may be achieved through including features that mimic natural environments (biomimicry) or by integrating living organisms or elements that facilitate their flourishing into the design.

“We are human in good part because of the particular way we affiliate with other organisms. They are the matrix in which the human mind originated and is permanently rooted.”

- Edward O. Wilson, Author of Biophilia

The history of biophilic design

“If you have a garden in your library, we will want for nothing”

Cicero - circa 50 BC

While they may not have had a fancy name for it, the fundamental aspects of biophilic design have been around and present in architecture around the globe for millennia. Courtyards with lush green gardens, green walls, and elaborate water features are synonymous with Roman architecture. Read more about that and other architectural styles in our article.

There were Chinese Scholar Gardens in the 11th century (more commonly known as Chinese Gardens), where the intellectual elite of the time escaped for contemplation and artistic expression.

Research has shown that medieval Islamic Madrasas (similar to a university) were intentionally designed with biophilic design principles and environmental features in mind. The idea being that the human connection with natural landscapes would facilitate the students' academic and spiritual growth.

Fast forward to 1984, American biologist Edward O. Wilson coined the phrase Biophilia in his treatise on incorporating natural elements into the built environment. Central to the book is the concept that human beings love nature and are innately connected to it, and for humans to thrive, this connection needs to be reflected in the constructed landscape.

What are the benefits of biophilic design?

Living or working in biophilic spaces enhances health and well being in surprising ways. An immense body of research correlates time spent in the natural environment with nearly all aspects of human health flourishing.

Health and well being

• Reduced stress and anxiety: The COVID-19 pandemic was one of the most anxiety-provoking times in living memory. One of the reasons for this, which often went unnoticed, was the lack of exposure to the natural world. Researchers found that those living in green spaces significantly offset the mental health impacts of lockdown.
• Improved cognitive performance: It's well known that stress and anxiety alleviation improve cognitive performance. It follows that workers who feel relaxed and at ease perform better, and that's exactly what a team of researchers found when examining the impacts of biophilic design principles in co-working spaces.
• Faster recovery times: The presence of just a few plants and other natural features in hospitals is positively correlated with accelerated recovery time and less pain medication required for post-surgery patients.
• Improved sleep quality: Good sleep hygiene requires clean air throughout the duration of sleep and exposure to natural light upon waking up. Biophilic bedrooms cater to both of these things. Again, it's about nurturing the occupants' biological requirements—that means catering to best practices for sleep
• Support for ADHD and cognitive disorders: Higher surrounding greenness near schools and homes is associated with lower ADHD and inattention scores among children. Researchers believe this benefit comes from reductions in air pollution, stress, and cognitive load.

Productivity and creativity

• Increased creative task performance: Research indicates that biophilic environments reduce mental fatigue, freeing up cognitive resources for focused and creative tasks.
• Enhanced mood leads to better output: Light, plants, and natural materials embedded in workspaces improve mood, reduce stress, and enhance overall productivity.
• Improved focus and concentration: The natural reduction in stress following exposure to biophilic elements has been shown to facilitate greater focus on key learning tasks.
• Reduced cognitive load and decision fatigue: Decision fatigue—the state of mental exhaustation following important decision making—is real and can have negative effects on productivity. Biophilic environments mitigate decision fatigue and allow workers to continue to perform throughout the workday.
• Higher overall workplace satisfaction: The thoughtful incorporation of biophilic features in office buildings has been associated with increased employee satisfaction, improved productivity, and a more sustainable and health-conscious work environment.
• Improved sleep quality = better performance: Elements such as natural light and air quality play a crucial role in improving sleep quality, regulating circadian rhythms, and enhancing daytime performance.
• Support for divergent thinking: Exposure to biophilic design elements, including natural light, ventilation, and greenery, has been shown to enhance divergent thinking, improving creative problem-solving and supporting innovative processes.

Sustainability and environmental impact

• Lower energy consumption: Buildings that incorporate green architecture use less energy, use sustainable materials, and minimize waste. These biophilic buildings can provide a net-positive environmental impact by generating their own power and enriching water reserves.
• Reduced greenhouse gas emissions: LEED-certified buildings generate 50% less greenhouse gas emissions than conventional buildings.
• Use of sustainable and renewable materials: By using sustainable and renewable materials, you can do your part to fight climate change by lowering emissions in your next project.

What are the design principles of biophilic design?

Biophilic design principles aim to connect people more closely with nature. The ethos posits that people and nature are inextricably linked, and that the built environment ought to reflect that fact. The core concept is to integrate natural elements, natural patterns, and systems into the constructed landscape to enhance well-being and productivity.

• Visual connection with nature: Providing views of nature, living systems, and natural processes, such as gardens, trees, water, or wildlife, that can be seen from inside a building or workspace.
• Non-visual connection with nature: Engaging the other senses: sound (birds, water, rustling leaves), smell (plants, wood, natural materials), and touch (textured surfaces, water, stone).
• Non-rhythmic sensory stimuli: Incorporating unpredictable environmental elements that change over time, like dappled sunlight through trees, breezes, or the shift of seasons, creating a sense of variation.
• Presence of water: Including water elements like fountains, ponds, or streams, which can be visually calming, produce gentle sounds, and create a soothing, natural ambience.
• Dynamic and diffuse light: Using light that changes throughout the day or filters softly, mimicking natural sunlight patterns and avoiding harsh, static artificial lighting.
• Thermal & airflow variability: Allowing temperature and air movement to fluctuate naturally, such as warm sun patches, cool breezes, or varying airflow from windows or ventilation, making the environment feel more alive and less uniform.
• Connection with natural systems: Showing or highlighting natural processes and cycles, like plant growth, seasonal changes, or ecological interactions, to make occupants feel part of a larger living system.

The key principles of biophilic design are broadly categorized into three pillars.

Nature in the space

Bringing direct elements of the natural world into built environments. It includes plants, water features, natural light, natural ventilation and views of outdoor landscapes. By incorporating living elements and natural processes, spaces feel more calming, engaging, and restorative, helping occupants reconnect with the environment.

Nature of the space

Humans have evolved in close connection with nature, and our survival has been shaped by environments that support well-being and exploration. We are instinctively drawn to spaces that offer safety, resources, and opportunities for discovery—such as expansive landscapes with open vistas, water sources, or views of the sea. These things are universally perceived as most appealing.

Natural analogues

Natural analogues are design elements that reference or mimic nature without being literal. This includes patterns, textures, and materials inspired by natural forms, such as wood grain, stone textures, natural patterns, or natural shapes. These cues trigger subconscious associations with nature, supporting well-being and creativity even in fully built environments.

What are the challenges of biophilic design?

While the benefits are wide-ranging, biophilic projects come with unique challenges:

• Cross-disciplinary expertise: Cross-disciplinary expertise is vital for biophilic design, but it can be challenging. Architects, engineers, botanists, and landscape designers often need to collaborate and navigate conflicting priorities and perspectives.
• Budget constraints: While elements of biophilic design are always possible to integrate, no matter the budget, going big and bold is likely to be costly. 
• Maintenance burden: Unlike natural settings with self-sustaining ecosystems, natural elements incorporated into design can come with a heavy maintenance burden. An elaborate vertical garden, for instance, will require specialist maintenance.

Biophilic design in action: Biotope

Though challenges exist, with the right tools, and team, even the most audacious visions can be executed.

Take the European Metropolis of Lille, for example. Guided by the philosophy of “rethinking urban design and creating healing architecture by developing 21st-century alternatives from a humanist, positivist, and ecological perspective,” Olivier Riauté and his team at Keurk have created a monument to what biophilic architecture can achieve: Biotope.

Based in Lille, France and founded by Riauté, KeurK specializes in architecture and visualization and work on projects of various scales, from product design to urban planning.

Biotope was designed with health and renewal firmly in mind. With open-air balconies, terraced green roofs, indoor trees, and open-air balconies, the design and build process required constant refinement and communication between stakeholders to bring all the elements together.

This was made possible through Enscape's real-time rendering solution.

“I stumbled upon Enscape just before the Biotope project. I liked it because it's friendly and easy to use, which is why I decided to use it for it,” said Riauté.

“VR helped us to make an impression. We were able to make important decisions, and we were also able to show our clients how monumental the staircase would look like in the atrium,” he explains.

It also allowed seamless collaboration between KeurK and the construction team.

“Enscape used with the BIM model and Revit allowed us to communicate our concept and keep everyone up to date. It was useful for collaborating with the contracted construction team. It was a really flexible way of working together.” 

What are the emerging trends in biophilic design?

As the benefits of spending time in nature is becoming more widely known, the demand for biophilic design features will continue to grow. Expect the following trends to shape design and architecture in 2025 and beyond.

Sustainability

The embrace of sustainable materials will continue to trend. Biophilic designers are increasingly embracing eco-friendly options like recycled composites and repurposed woods, creating aesthetically pleasing designs using sustainable design strategies.

Indoor-outdoor fluidity

The seamless transition between indoor and outdoor space, known as indoor-outdoor fluidity, continues to gain traction within the biophilic design space. This includes continuous aesthetic features from inside to out, such as indoor gardens and courtyards, blurring the lines between indoor and outdoor space.

Multi-sensory engagement

As the science of how our various senses respond to nature progresses, so too will the demand for richer sensory environments in the home. Our olfactory sense (the sense of smell) is one of the fastest and most direct routes to memory and emotion. With this in mind, fragrant natural materials are increasingly sought after to create an emotionally nourishing environment in the home.

Innovative technology

As biophilic design gains popularity, expect advances in real-time rendering and building performance software to bring even the most audacious visions to life. Software tools like Enscape enable us to visualize intricate designs, communicate project requirements with various stakeholders, and facilitate cross-disciplinary collaboration.

Conclusion

Biophilic design offers designers a powerful way to create healthier and more sustainable living and working environments. By embracing this philosophy, you can enhance well-being, boost productivity, and foster a deeper connection with the natural environment in your projects.

With the right tools and knowledge, leading designers will be equipped to lead the way in creating a future where the designed environment nourishes its occupants and sets a new standard for urban design that benefits both people and the planet.

FAQs

What are the problems with biophilic design?

While it comes with a host of benefits, effective implementation can be challenging. Some common challenges include maintenance demands, cost and resources, climate and environment, space limitations, expertise gaps, and cross-disciplinary collaboration. The challenges are real, but when overcome, the results are well worth it.

Who is the father of biophilic design?

Biophilic design elements and principles have existed in human culture for millennia, but Stephen Kellert is widely regarded as the father of in the modern sense. Though Erich Fromm coined the phrase in 1973 and Edward Wilson posited the concept that the human nature connection should be honored in the built environment in his 1984 treatise Biophilia, Kellert brought the concept into a practical application with his book Biophilic Design: The Theory, Science and Practice of Bringing Buildings to Life.

What is the most famous biophilic design?

While there are many contenders for the most famous, but Singapore's Gardens by the Bay is arguably the most well-known example of biophilic design in an urban environment. It is at once futuristic and naturalistic—with towering biodomes overlooking lush green gardens and ponds, Gardens by the Bay is the benchmark for audacious biophilic design.

Runners up include the Eden Project in Cornwall, Fallingwater in Pennsylvania (designed by Frank Wilson) and Bosco Verticale in Milan.

How to implement biophilic design in office spaces?

Depending on your budget and ambitions, biophilic design can be implemented in big or small ways. If you want to go big, then you can apply things such as water features, green roofs and living walls, indoor gardens or atriums, and use natural materials like stone and timber at scale. You could also implement large windows and skylights to maximize natural light and integrate entire ecosystems, such as rooftop forests or vertical gardens.

If you'd prefer to start small, then you could go with potted plants and hanging greenery, natural textures in furniture and finishes, artwork and imagery inspired by nature, daylight lamps or circadian lighting, small water elements, like tabletop fountains, and incorporate natural scents or sounds.

What is the difference between biophilic design and sustainable architecture?

While there are many overlapping elements between the two, biophilic design and sustainable architecture are distinct from one another. For example, using unethically sourced timber panelling qualifies may qualify as biophilic, but not sustainable. Conversely, if a house runs on solar energy and was built with sustainable materials, but if it lacks natural features, light or greenery, it is sustainable, but not biophilic.