Nature is an awe-inspiring force that becomes a healing factor for our body and mind. Being in harmony with wilderness is among the most soothing things we can do, since most of our time is spent cooped up in commercial space. A study featured in the Washington Post suggested that people who spent at least three hours a week in nature were more satisfied with their lives.
Our immediate surroundings and landscapes can have a very positive effect on our cognitive ability and well-being. Nature therapy is such a simple, but transcendent experience. Even sitting outside on your patio or beneath a tree can unleash subliminal energies in your body.
Biophilic design strives to imitate nature’s best elements to reconnect us with our earthly roots. This allows designers to create spaces that provide inspiration, creativity, and a sense of calmness.
Biophilia is a design concept that involves incorporating natural textures, finishes, and colors into a space to create a relaxing and pleasing environment. It provides numerous health benefits and adds value to a property, making it a popular choice for designers. Biophilic design can be incorporated into outdoor and indoor living spaces, architecture, and urban areas.
To create a biophilic space, designers focus on elements such as ventilation, natural light, plants, water features, unbleached fabrics, composite decking material, organic shapes, and images of nature.
Principles of Biophilic Design
Natural Material
Biophilic design often incorporates natural materials such as bamboo, rattan, and stone. Natural materials are renewable and can enhance the feeling of nature in a space. Millboard’s recycled limestone components have a great sustainability aspect, and pair well with other natural materials when used in designs.
Organic Shapes
Nature-inspired patterns and shapes, such as those found in fossils, mountains, trees, seashells, and leaves, are commonly used in biophilic design to create texture and interest. Millboard is hand molded from real oak, which gives the boards a natural texture that you can see and feel. The molding process creates a level of variety and variation in the boards that mimics the natural variations found in timber. This makes Millboard an attractive and an authentic alternative to traditional wood decking.
Additional Outdoor Spaces
Incorporating more outdoor spaces, such as parks, patios, balconies, terraces, and gardens, can provide numerous benefits for physical and mental health. Millboard is a versatile and durable material that can be used in any of these outdoor settings.
Water Features
Water features, such as waterfalls, fountains, ponds, and decorative pools, can provide a sense of calm and tranquility. Millboard’s resistance to moisture, rot, and insect damage makes it a practical choice for use in wet environments, where traditional wood decking may not be suitable.
Natural Lighting
Allowing natural light to enter a space can improve health and well-being and create a more natural environment.
Vegetation
Adding vegetation, such as green walls and roofs, indoor plant areas, and vertical forests, can bring nature into urban spaces and provide numerous health benefits.
Benefits of Biophilic Design
Biophilic design offers numerous benefits for human health and well-being. These benefits include the following:
- Builds a Healthier Environment: Mimicking nature in the built environment can have the same health benefits as spending time in nature. These spaces can reduce stress, improve sleep, and relax the mind. Lighting and temperature variability can also boost work performance and health conditions.
- Increases Productivity and Creativity: Working in a happier and more enjoyable environment can increase productivity and creativity. Surrounding oneself with biophilia can make one feel more productive at work. Being surrounded by nature can also inspire new ideas and foster resourcefulness.
- Reduces Temperatures: Vegetation and trees can provide shade and regulate temperature, helping to reduce the overall heat of buildings and cities. Planting trees and vegetation can also help to slow the pace of climate change and reduce global temperatures.
- Brings Happiness: Being surrounded by plants, fresh air, and natural sounds can promote feelings of happiness and relaxation. This can provide a much-needed break from the stress and noise of city life.
- Decreases Noise Pollution: Plants can act as noise absorbers, reducing noise pollution in buildings and urban environments. Adding plants to a room or office can create a quieter, more peaceful atmosphere.
Takeaways
Biophilic design is a holistic approach to designing urban areas, buildings, and living spaces that focuses on integrating nature into the built environment. This approach goes beyond simply adding plants and greenery, and considers factors such as the use of space, and the selection of patterns, shapes, and building materials.
While biophilic design has not traditionally been a priority in many design practices, there is growing recognition of the benefits of incorporating nature into our daily lives. As concerns about climate change continue to rise, more designers are turning to biophilic design as a way to create sustainable, healthy, and harmonious environments.
Research has consistently shown that biophilic design can improve health and well-being, reduce stress, and enhance cognitive function. By prioritizing nature in the design process, we can create spaces that not only benefit the environment, but also improve the lives of those who use them.
