Biophilic Design and the Urban Environment

Biophilia is defined by biologist E.O. Wilson as the hardwired human inclination to affiliate with nature, considered by Wilson to be critical to human physical and mental health [1]. Biophilic Design, therefore, is the architectural and design principle that invites nature into our homes, workplaces and our cities. Integrating natural systems into the built environment asks us to rethink space and place to collaborate with the natural world, rather than disrupt it. In doing so, weaving nature into the urban fabric offers benefits across the social, economic and environmental spectrums, whilst also bringing the therapeutic and restorative properties of nature to the individual.  

As a born and bred Londoner, I can personally vouch for the feeling of disconnection that urban environments can foster and the dip in my sense of vibrancy that follows. The urban environment is in a state of expansion and growing evermore populous, meaning that many are required to spend more time indoors to meet the demands of contemporary urban living. Rather than avoiding this altogether, biophilic design can help as we adapt to this. Whilst there is no replacement for immersing oneself in nature (not even Earthsong workshops…), green infrastructure can support in bridging the gap between nature and culture by bringing the outside in.

There are many applications to the biophilic philosophy that can be implemented at various scales in affordable ways. Whether through incorporating greenery into, onto and around the built environment or with spatial adaptions through more natural ventilation systems, the usage of certain building materials, bodies of water or access to light cycles. The key to successful biophilic design is the emulation of nature’s attributes, rather than isolated natural aspects. There are a number of approaches to implement this.

Biophilic design provides an in-depth and multisensory framework to invigorate the cityscape with life, something that has been shown to have measurable effects on human wellbeing. A promising study indicates that biophilia can have a positive effect on post-surgery recovery. Patients who were assigned a room with a view of nature outside had shorter post-operative stays and required fewer potent analgesics than patients who did not have an outlook onto a natural scene [2]; meanwhile a later study observed that office greenery could improve employee wellbeing scores by 47% [3].

A growing body of research supports the restorative potential of greening our indoor spaces, however, it is not only us humans that benefit from green infrastructure, but our planet too. With biophilic structures and rewilding initiatives, we can accommodate ecosystems in the most densely populated urban areas, whilst simultaneously providing carbon dioxide sequestration hubs and particulate filtration sites, making biophilic design an ecologically regenerative practice [4].  

MOSS or Makers Of Sustainable Spaces, are a green architecture firm based in The Netherlands. They develop living indoor spaces and outdoor landscapes that are conducive to both human and planetary health, employing a range of biophilic principles within their development strategies. Driven by research that explores the impact of biophilic elements on wellbeing and the environment, their portfolio of projects embrace an ecologically regenerative approach featuring biodiverse green roofs, natural materials, interior edible gardens and integrated sustainable energy systems.

Their Central Park project in Utrecht immerses office workers of a 23-story building in a lush indoor forest. Composed of 50 trees and shrubs and 1500 plants native to the Azores, the indoor landscape covers 500sq-m of the building and provides a grounding sanctuary for office workers to re-root into nature throughout the working day. A flowing stream bisects the garden, adding a sonic biophilic component to the innovative design. Together, this environment helps to provide fresh oxygen and offers a soothing working environment that can promote mental and physical health.

Central Park in Utrecht by MOSS. Image shared with permission from photographer Jordi Huisman

Most importantly, the Central Park project sets the bar for designers wanting to seriously implement biophilic principles for building occupants. Imbedding nature (without isolating it) within the built environment is possible and should be considered as part of a wider strategy to improve the indoor environments that humans occupy.

Central Park in Utrecht by MOSS. Image shared with permission from photographer Jordi Huisman

Other developments within the sphere of green infrastructure place a greater importance on the usage of urban space to support ecoystems and CO2 absorption, with the human-health benefits of these structures being a secondary, but very positive, consequence. Stefano Boeri’s Bosco Verticale transformed two 260- and 360- foot towers in Milan into vertical forests with 800 trees and 500 shrubs.

The vertical forests functioned as a tool for carbon sequestration, biodiversity support and rain water management, whilst incorporating nature into resident’s homes and offering the benefits that a close affinity to the natural world brings to the human experience.

Bosco Verticale, Milan.

With this being said, it is important that the visually appealing facades of biophilia do not eclipse the need for drastic change to the working and living conditions of urban populations. Similarly, caution must be taken for biophilic design acting as a greenwashing tool when used as part of sustainability agendas by institutions that engage in extractive, exploitative and ecologically damaging practices. Such institutions must be held accountable for these destructive behaviours beyond implementing biophilic design principles. With this in mind, biophilic design can effectively bolster a wider approach for companies and cities wishing to create a healthier environment for both person and planet.

Biophilic design is realistic about what the urban environment demands of many of its inhabitants. It is unlikely that many urban dwellers are able to reject the increase in time spent indoors to accommodate the various demands and challenges of contemporary city life and whilst more time spent within natural landscapes is favourable, this is not always feasible. Similarly, it recognises the expanding motion of urban space and the devastating ecological impacts that this may have. Biophilic design may not be able to stop urban growth, but it can harmonise the urban with the natural to encourage humans to co-exist with nature, rather than to conquer nature.

Sources

[1] - Wilson, E.O., 2017. Biophilia and the conservation ethic. In Evolutionary perspectives on environmental problems (pp. 250-258). Routledge

[2] - Ulrich, R.S., 1984. View through a window may influence recovery from surgery. science, 224(4647), pp.420-421.

[3] - Knight, C. and Haslam, S.A., 2010. The relative merits of lean, enriched, and empowered offices: An experimental examination of the impact of workspace management strategies on well-being and productivity. Journal of Experimental Psychology: Applied, 16(2), p.158.

[4] - Zhong, W., Schröder, T. and Bekkering, J., 2021. Biophilic design in architecture and its contributions to health, well-being, and sustainability: A critical review. Frontiers of Architectural Research.