How Biophilic Design improves the way we work

written by Pauline de Villiers Brettell

Long before Biophilic Design became a buzzword, designer Oliver Heath was championing the concept and making sure that, if it was not yet top of the agenda, it was being placed firmly on the design radar. Fast forward to a post-pandemic 2022 and Biophilia is now an integral part of the conversation when discussing design, wellbeing and sustainability. With this in mind, we thought we would go straight to the source and find out a little more about it.

Kicking off

the

conversation - Biophilia, Biophilic Design – what does it actually mean?

Biophilia means love of nature and that essentially is what it is all about – about restoring nature to our built environment. It is a term that was first invented back in the 1970s and 80s and is about identifying what was happening as we moved from rural dwellings to city centres. That urban shift brought with it all sorts of resulting physiological and psychological problems as a direct result of what became a fundamental disconnect from nature. So Biophilia then is both a love of nature and a design methodology that explains the reasons for our innate attraction to nature and natural processes, along with the benefits those bring when we connect with them in the built environment.

These ideas developed into a set of design principles that allow us to reconnect with elements of nature. Humans have always existed in close connection with nature, it was necessary to survive, and as a result, we have the ability to recognise elements that we need not only to survive but to flourish - and the flourish part is what is key to a Biophilic Design.

There are 3 principles behind Biophilic Design:

1. Direct connection: This is about how we introduce natural light, fresh air, water, plants as well as movement in nature and shifts in seasons into our environment.

2. Indirect references to nature: This covers how we go about creating a feeling of nature – how to evoke or mimic a feeling of nature through materials, shapes and textures through technology and patterns.

3. Human spatial response: This identifies what we can do to create spaces that are similar to those we sought out in the natural world, spaces that make us feel safe and places to recuperate, relax and restore.

But it is also important to remember we need to create buildings that are exciting, aspirational and stimulating – buildings and designs to energise.

One thing that unites us is that we have all, at some point, had a positive experience of nature, and the point of Biophilic Design is about referencing that positive experience and trying to illicit a similar emotional response in the built environment to reduce stress, to aid physical and mental recuperation, and to enhance the connection to a sense of space, place and the people within it. Quite simply, it is about reducing the negative effects of a space – the things that eliminate the response “I feel stressed, I feel exhausted, I can’t work in these conditions” - and in order to create positive outcomes, we need to look at how to create a positive space.

How do we create that with a universal design language, and what are the design elements that are there to use when creating a Biophilic Design? What makes Biophilic Design different to other styles – like modernism, classicism etc – is that it is a design style rooted in evidence – in other words, there is evidence that there will be a positive outcome when principles of Biophilic Design are introduced into the built environment.

Biophilic Design is a multi-sensory design tool, can talk about the importance of senses? Incorporating the senses is really important to understanding Biophilic Design - the senses have always been important to our survival in nature, so are rooted in our DNA …we would have used all our senses not only to survive but also to thrive.

Today things are shockingly different as we navigate around cities looking at our phones (we don’t listen out it for what is going on around us because it is overwhelming), headphones cancel out noises and the smell of processed food has no relation to where it comes from. As designers, we should be thinking about how to harness and design for all the senses, while considering how we can create spaces that are appropriate for an intended activity.

How do you integrate all these elements into the design process while considering different personality profiles?

It is important to recognise that in any building you are going to have a lot of different people using that space – 100 people in an office will give you 100 different personality profiles, all with different sensory thresholds. We need to understand those sensory issues and design for them, or with them in mind, and to do that it is about providing and designing for flexible space and options within that space to accommodate a varied spectrum of needs.

Because in any workforce you will have a mixture of people, it follows that you need a mix of spaces that include and move between high and low sensory thresholds. To look at in practical terms, we start with High Threshold spaces – these spaces are usually near the entrance, high traffic, high energy communal spaces with a lot of stimuli – some people can work in this environment, others can’t. We then progress into a Medium Threshold space where you start diversifying the workspace into co-working spaces and meeting pods – a mixture of spaces where the sensory input is toned down. Finally, we move into the Low Threshold spaces - these are usually quiet working spaces with reduced stimulation - recuperation spaces.

It is important to recognise that Biophilic Design is not just about creating calming restorative spaces, there is also a lot in nature that is about stimulation and excitement. Using the principles of Biophilic Design is not only about calming and de-stressing, but also about creating engaging and stimulating spaces.

How can Biophilic Design help with some of the most common issues in the workplace – like distraction, fatigue and stress?

The first thing we can do is introduce elements of nature – the most obvious being plants and greenery as these immediately create the instinctive response that if plants can flourish so can we. Where there is light, water and growth, there is energy.

As designers, we need to consider natural light and how to maximise that in a design. The circadian system and rhythms, based on the 24-hour period of light and dark, that affect our body along with mood, behaviour and energy, are key to this process. We need to be aware of the effects of different light and understand how to harness this. It could be about using technology to deliver on this front or it could be as simple as placing a desk by a window.

Colour is also really important. The impact of different colours on how we feel or respond is clearly documented, and we know colour affects us all every day. Thinking about what colours do and where we use them and developing a conscious use of colour is an important part of our job. You don’t necessarily have to overwhelm a design with colour, but understanding the benefits of using colours in a similar proportion as they are found in nature is crucial.

Another facet of the design process is identifying and understanding the difference between directed attention and effortless attention. With directed attention being all about focus, we tend to be good at zeroing in, but it is tiring physically, mentally and emotionally. When we need a break, there need to be opportunities for effortless attention. This is where nature comes into play again as a restorative force to help us regroup and rebalance. We are not designed to be focused and energised for eight hours solid, and the workplace needs to incorporate spaces that allow people time to stop and recuperate and get back to cognitive functioning at their best.

What elements provide this effortless attention in nature? It usually comes in the form of movement, like wind through grass or ripples in a pond. It is often repetitive and seemingly random, but with an underlying order, which is so often the case in nature. A lot of our interiors are essentially static, so it is about introducing these elements through design.

How do you bring that into a space – what kind of products or elements?

The majority of spaces are quite closely connected to the outside environment, so opportunities to connect with the outside world are often quite straightforward on one level. It can be as obvious as arranging furniture and desks in such a way that maximises natural light and views outside. Or, it might require a little more lateral thought – for example, providing bike racks and showers in an office make it easier for people to walk/run/cycle to work. In that example, it is about removing obstacles to create opportunity.

Once direct contact with nature is maximised you can then move on to look at things like colours, textures and materials within the space. There is a lot of interesting research that supports the use of natural materials in design – the use of timber walls, for example, has been proven to reduce heart rate and blood pressure. As the materials we use can have a physiological impact on people and actually improve their experience of a space, it makes sense to spend time considering the use of materials in a design project. E

If you are interested to find out more about Biophilic Design, Oliver Heath's website has helpful resources to delve into.

Website: oliverheath.com

Email: studio@oliverheath.com

IG: @oliverheath