Biophillic Design and Lifestyle

Biophillic Design is a concept that has been growing for about 40 years. It covers elements such as bringing the outside in. More importantly than this, the benefits of nature to the human species - it is a necessity to our physical and mental health. Our lifestyle of work and life is no longer a balance. The world of work is deeming over us and creating decline in our health. We are working ourselves to exhaustion, in the documentary Happy it spoke about a man living in China who had been working so much he had died of exhaustion. I believe that a good work ethic is a great trait but the world of work is tipping the scales too much. The increased urbanisation and the effect it has on us is catastrophic. It can be small things such as exposure to nature, fresh air with no noise and light pollution but having none of these disrupts our harmony with nature.

After listening to Joe Rogan's Podcast with sleep neurologist Matthew Walker (totally worth a listen), he says that humans are the only species to purposely disrupt our sleep cycle as well as force ourselves to stay awake when we are tired, mainly because of our interaction with the online world in the last decade. Living in the city prevents us from sleeping as well due to the light and noise pollution at all hours of the day and night. Humans have 5 stages of sleep and we most commonly miss the last 2 because of alarms we have set to get out of bed and get on with jam packed schedules in life. When this gets extreme, we can start having hallucinations.

There is also a documentary on the BBC called The Truth about Sleep where they studied a man who attempted to fix his sleep pattern after years of issues with sleep, naturally as we get older the quality of our sleep decreases but it is the pattern of nature that aids our sleep. He used a few simple remedies one of them was simply daylight. The interesting thing that came up was how much our gut health and what we eat affects the rest of our physical body, our other organs and evidently our emotions. There is lots of physical side effects from potential allergies that show on the outside and it is the bodies way of telling us to stay away from certain foods. The saying you are what you eat really is true and in another post I will get into the topics of food and how it affects us.

Over time we have veered away from being outdoors as we hide behind our laptop screens and spend a lot more time by ourselves indoors. We stopped following natures clock when the industrial revolution came around. Our internal body clock still has some control over how we behave but it is mainly society that has taken over.

One of the things i have noticed with millennials (like myself) is the ownership of house plants in our rented flats - a cheese plant is the newest addition to the collection in my flat. I can't seem to pin down what it is about owning plants that brings me joy. I do know that Aloe Vera plants enjoy being in moist atmospheres such as bathrooms. Our senses and how nature interconnects and affects them. The benefits of having such plants in our homes are endless. Some of these include cleaning the air which helps with our respiratory system (breathing a better quality of air especially within the urban environment), improving our mood and reducing stress levels which may decrease the statistics that the WHO has released about both mental health illness and cardio vascular will be, by 2020 the biggest contributors towards disease. They also increase our creativity and productivity so commercial spaces such as studios and offices are perfect.

Using a variety of materials and colours that resemble the outdoors or trying to include elements from nature may help create a fresh aesthetic indoors. It is also a way of affecting our mood the light and colour levels within our space (post to follow about colour psychology). Letting natural light to flood inside our homes will correct our natural circadian rhythm. Allowing our senses to be immersed in nature as much as possible.

Slow living is something that I have started practicing recently. It is originally from Italy and to put it frank it is trying not to rush anything because at the end of the day the world isn't going to end. Trying to digital detox and take time away from phones and laptops to live in the moment and in your own thoughts helps increase happiness too. It ultimately reduces stress and increases positivity and helps you to appreciate the little things. (I sound like a guru).

Tying in with the slow living / self care; the use of saunas is something that is increasingly becoming popular, it has many benefits and is a quick way to reduce stress within the busy and fast paced lives we lead. Some of the benefits of this include the obvious - sweating out impurities through our pores, to flush out toxins. Releasing endorphins which helps reduce pain and uplift our mood. Increases our quality of sleep. Practices such as Yoga and Meditation are also very important and spa therapy as well as ecotherapy and acupuncture both help reconnect with nature.

Some examples of Biophillic Design in the Urban Environment are green roofs, an increasingly popular concept that creates harmonious spaces within the fast paced city. First developed in Germany in the early 1900's and by halfway through the century there was around 13 million square metres of roofs covered in greenery. They have a number of benefits that aid the surrounding area. With the number of layers to the structure, the soil and vegetation act as a layer of insulation for the building and keep it cool in the summer and warm in the winter. This subsequently means the energy costs of the buildings decrease. The vegetation also improves the air quality and in turn lowers air temperatures over time. One of the biggest uses for them however, is collecting water from storm run off. This acts as a preventative to flooding issues. They are living and breathing of improving the atmosphere and human health within the city.

The High Line in New York a 1.4 mile line that was a disused rail line transporting cargo in and out of the city. It slowly closed down and in the 90s nature took over and the line grew wildflowers the length of the track. The proposal to knock down the High Line and the bridges that crossed avenues in Lower Manhattan was overruled when 2 men began the organisation Friends of the High Line in 1999 and started a campaign to create an eden of wildlife and greenery. It opened in 2009 and is maintained by the City of New York. It is an iconic piece of landscape architecture that will remain one of the main sights to see when visiting Manhattan. This video is also really interesting and looks at how we can incorporate further biological research into cities and design.

Another feature is garden walls, similar to the green roofs but vertical. One really lovely wall is the Caxia Forum Museum in Madrid that is around 28 metres tall with over 250 plant species on the wall. It was designed by Patrick Blanc in 2008 and has a great contrast with the perforated orange cladding on the old power station building next to it. There is a pool at the foot of the wall that reflects the greenery as well as collecting water from the irrigation down the wall.

The Eden Project, began construction in 1998 essentially is a large greenhouse. There was a huge design concept for it as the site it was built, was a live quarry and so was continually changing. Some of the inspirations for the shape of the greenhouse were soap bubbles, pollen grains and carbon molecules. The shape was to be hexagons with references back to nature. An alternative to glass was the challenge as it had to be lightweight but strong. The research looked at pressurised membranes and eventually found a high strength polymer called ETFE. It is 1 percent of the weight of double glazing. As the structure required less steel, it allowed more sunlight to pass through which meant less heat is required in winter to heat the space. Like any building, when we look to nature for processes and use it as a tool, the resource efficiency increases. This Ted Talk speaks about nature interconnecting with design.

Within cities, I believe the future requires a number of spaces that must be planned to enable humans to continue to live in harmony with the planet. To keep this connection, I think these buildings need a few pillar elements to help people's urban wellbeing. Lots of natural light, living plants and spaces that are treated like a sanctuary. A place for people to rest where their senses are immersed in natural noises and materials. I think it is important to keep in mind wellness and restoration and always remember the definition of Biophillia - a interactive bond between humans and nature.