Biophilia as a Design Approach that Supports the Health and Wellbeing of the Built Environment Occupants

Introduction

Half of the world's population is now living in the urban area and is projected to be increasing shortly; thus, the density of urban space is inevitable. Another issue raised in the topic of urban living is that even though the health of city dwellers has increased significantly, their vulnerability to health problems is high. The research concluded that the risks ranged from chronic diseases to depressive symptoms. In the meantime, we know that a horizontal approach to urban development is not environmentally friendly, hence the approach of compact urban development is one of the solutions. This complex issue is a current challenge for designers and planners as it requires an expert to find a perfect balance in creating a compactly built environment that is also sustainable and supportive of the occupants’ health and wellbeing.  

The lack of green and blue landscaping at every scale of the built environment also causes urban populations to lose exposure and direct connection to nature—a critical element that benefits human health and wellbeing. Edward O. Wilson in 1984 introduced and proposed the related sentiments that humans possess and innate tendency to seek connection with nature, which was later called Biophilia.

As the concept and theory of Biophilia developed, many scholars proposed different types of approaches to dissecting this abstract concept. According to Kellert and Calabrese (2015), for example, the biophilic design framework can be divided into three categories, namely direct experience with nature, indirect experience with nature, and experience of space and place, while each category examines different aspects. The direct experience with nature category discusses the implementation of real natural elements in the built environment, such as light, air, water, plants, and landscape. Whereas the category of indirect experience with nature includes texture, colour, shape, biomimicry, and other derivative elements. 

Other figures researching the field of biophilic design have each different frameworks, which means they also have different points of view in looking at the concept of biophilia. Theoretically, the concept of biophilia is also in line with other theories. For instance, the Prospect-Refuge Theory by Appleton (1975), the Stress Recovery Theory by Ulrich (1983), and the Place Attachment Theory by Hildago and Hernandez (2001). Fundamentally, the concept of biophilia in general underlines the urgency of connection between nature and humans, as well as the benefits between both beings.

Biophilic Design, Human Health, and Environmental Sustainability

The benefits of biophilic design have long been researched and yielded evidence indicating positive outcomes, both for humans and for nature itself.

In viewing the concept of biophilia using a sustainability lens, the concept of biophilia has contributed to some points of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The implementation of the biophilia concept by promoting a healthy indoor environment, non-toxic materials, and active space designs could directly contribute to SDGs point number three (Good Health and Wellbeing). While the principle of biophilia which emphasizes climate comfort by using low energy consumption, resistance to changing conditions, and sensitivity to local culture could contribute to SDGs point number 13 (Climate Action). More broadly, the concept of biophilia could contribute directly and indirectly to other SDGs points through different practical implementations.

Today’s discussion about the concept of biophilia so far has focused more on its benefits for human health and well-being, in line with the increasingly narrow living space for urban communities. Buildings that adopt the concept of biophilia in their designs have been shown to provide a special attraction to their occupants and trigger an increase in psychological recovery. Other research concludes that visual and non-visual connections with nature, as well as the presence of plants and light, can reduce stress, lower heart rate, and lower blood pressure. Even the use of natural materials can reduce stress on the built environment occupants.

Implementation of the Biophilia Concept in Building Design

Biophilic design principles cover every dimension of planning and design discipline, scale, and typology. On an urban scale, biophilia has long been a goal of certain disciplines, such as landscape architecture and ecological planning. Meanwhile, on the scale of interior design, biophilic design can be applied by using natural features, both directly natural and analogical, to interior elements.

In practice, the implementation of biophilia to interior spaces can be applied through, but not limited to, the following strategies.

Bringing the Outside In

Bringing the outside in allows building occupants to have direct contact with natural elements visually and non-visually. This strategy relates directly to the implementation of designs related to light, air, water, plants, animals, weather, and natural ecosystems and landscapes.

Incorporating these natural elements in practice means using building partitions that allow building occupants to have access to outside space, such as considering the area of windows, doors, glass walls, ventilation, and layouts that can specifically accommodate natural elements through small or big landscapes.

Fenestrations that support the concept of biophilia are those with sufficient natural ventilation, windows that are wide enough to let the outside light enter inside, and a field of view that is wide enough to see the outdoor elements (e.g. sky and trees in a park).

 Representation of Nature in Buildings

This strategy allows building occupants to have contact with natural representations or natural elements analogically, or an exposure to certain patterns and characteristics of nature. Examples include wooden furniture, natural fabrics, the use of dynamic shapes inspired by nature, or geometric patterns adopted from natural processes.

Starting from building materials and interior elements, some elements that can be considered are wood, stone, cotton fabric, or leather. Natural materials have the power to stimulate and reflect the dynamic nature of organic elements and the adaptive responses of living things over time. The same effects can be gained from colours adopted from nature—which differ from contrasting and artificial colours.

The concept of biomimicry is also included in one of the strategies for implementing natural representations of buildings. This concept refers to the application of forms and functions that can be found in nature. For example, the strong structure inspired by spider webs, or the ability to store heat in some animal hairs.

Another strategy that can be applied quite easily is to place images and representations of nature in the form of photography, paintings, sculptures, murals, videos, digital simulations, and other media that can provide an analogical experience of nature.